The BOV Youth Knockout resumed over the week, with teams battling it out in the Quarter-Finals for a spot in the final four of the competition.
BOV Youth Knockout – Quarter-Finals
Hibernians FC 2-5 St Andrews FC
St Andrews became the first side to book a place in the BOV Youth Knockout Semi-Finals after a thrilling game against Hibernians at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Monday.
In the previous round, Hibernians eased past Kirkop United, while St Andrews had a relatively tougher route, narrowly beating Valletta FC. The Paolites came into this game as slight underdogs, particularly given St Andrews’ impressive form towards the closing stages of the campaign.
However, Hibs were the ones to start on the front foot, wanting to take the game to St Andrews. They got their reward in the 14th minute, as Denzil Muscat found space, before firing a shot past goalkeeper Sebastian Mifsud, giving Hibernians an early lead.
St Andrews regrouped following the setback, and they looked to get more of the ball to mount a comeback. They got back on level terms in the 28th minute thanks to a goal from Jack Camilleri, before they turned the game around five minutes later thanks to a strike from Timothy Cassar Torreggiani.
Yet Hibernians were not down and out, and just seconds later, they equalised through an unlucky own goal from Ben Gaerty, who saw the ball go into his own net to make it 2-2.
At the break, the score was still level, setting up an intriguing second-half.
St Andrews came out the blocks in the second-half, and they took the lead just three minutes after the restart, with Cassar Torreggiani once again getting his name on the scoresheet with a fine finish.
The away side did not look back from that point on, and they started to mount more attacks on the Hibernians backline.
St Andrews got their fourth of the match in the 71st minute through Aleksa Zivkovic, before Mattia Galliano sealed the victory with a goal of his own only a few minutes later.
St Andrews saw out the final few minutes, and they sealed their spot as one of the final four teams of the competition.
Hamrun Spartans FC 0-2 Mosta FC
Elsewhere, Mosta got a narrow 2-0 win over Hamrun, with goals scored in each half of the game, ensuring their passage to the next round.
In their only meeting earlier this season, Mosta had easily beaten Hamrun 5-1. The Blues came into the game as strong favourites, especially following their impressive extra-time win against Naxxar Lions FC in the previous round. In the Round of 16, Hamrun managed to get a win over the line against Swieqi United.
Mosta came into the game in full spirits, and they only needed 10 minutes to find a breakthrough, with Jamie Scerri putting them in front with a finish past goalkeeper Jacob Mangion.
Hamrun solidified their defending following the goal, and were starting to mount some opportunities of their own. But they could not find a way past the Mosta defence, which stood strong and withhold any pressure from the Spartans.
At the end of the first-half, it was still 1-0 to Mosta, with Hamrun still in the game.
Following the break, the game heated up, with more challenges in the heart of midfield from both sides.
Hamrun pushed forward, but they were being kept out by Mosta.
The Blues got the decisive second goal in the 75th minute, as Prince Chibuzor Emmanuel found the back of the net with a shot to make it 2-0.
Hamrun could not find a way back into the match, and Mosta ran out as 2-0 winners, booking a spot in the next round.
Birkirkara FC 2-1 Melita FC
In the first match on Tuesday, Birkirkara withstood some late pressure to hold on for a 2-1 win over Melita.
The two sides had very different paths to the Quarter-Finals, with Birkirkara having to battle it out on penalties against Fgura United, while Melita eased past Balzan FC.
However, the match started very close, with the two sides exchanging possession in the early stages.
It was in the 31st minute that Birkirkara managed to find some space, before eventually breaking the deadlock. Kerson Fenech got on the end of a move, firing a shot past goalkeeper James Sissons to give the Stripes the one-goal lead.
Melita settled down afterwards, and they managed to control the Birkirkara attack, keeping them out from adding to their scoring before the break.
Following half-time, Birkirkara seized greater control of the tie, and they mounted more attacks on the Melita backline.
They doubled their scoring in the 72nd minute through Liam Delicata, giving the Stripes a comfortable cushion heading into the final few minutes.
However, Melita pushed forward in search of a route back into the game. While they eventually got themselves a goal through George Grima, it came in the third minute of stoppage time, proving too late to provide a last-minute twist.
Floriana FC 0-1 Pietà Hotspurs FC
In the final BOV Youth Knockout Quarter-Final, Pietà scored late on to get the win over Floriana, sealing their place in the Semi-Finals.
In their only encounter earlier this season, the Greens had come out on top with a 2-0 win, with Floriana then going on a run that helped them climb up the BOV Youth League A table at the time.
On Tuesday, Pietà were determined to avoid the same errors that cost them the game on that occasion, and they were looking to keep Floriana at bay.
After a very tense first-half, there was nothing to separate the two teams, with both Floriana and Pietà having their respective chances.
In the second-half, the game heated up, with more challenges flying in at the middle of the pitch.
The all-important goal came in the 80th minute, as defender Sheldon Borg freed himself from his markers, before slotting the ball into the net to give the Hotspurs the lead.
Floriana did all they can to find an equaliser, yet they ran out of time, and Pietà emerged as 1-0 winners.
As a result, the BOV Youth Knockout Semi-Finals, which will be contested on 19th May 2025, will be:
Mosta FC vs St Andrews FC – 18:00hrs, Victor Tedesco Stadium
Birkirkara FC vs Pietà Hotspurs FC – 20:30hrs, Victor Tedesco Stadium
