APS Bank U/17 Section A

Paola H 1

Pieta H 0

very difficult encounter to control and he did so admirably. The importance of this oncounter reflected very much on both sets of players who felt the pressure of the importance to win.

Following this game Paola Hibs lead the standings on 45 points from 19 games while Pieta are second on 43 points also from 19 games.

The early pressure came from Pieta as they won three free kicks in a row: Matthew Agius was fouled on the left flank and Paola keeper Christian Cassar saved the free kick shot by Christian Grech.

Ansil Briffa was then fouled on the left flank and the ball was cleared by a defender after the free kick shot by Grech and Agius was again fouled outside the area and from the free kick shot by James Christie the ball was cleared to a corner, which was taken by Agius and Cassar managed to neutralise the ball.

Agius was again in action as he served Clifford Gauci with a through ball but Cassar saved his shot from outside the area, while at the other end, Brandon Gatt served Jean P Farrugia in the area and Pieta keeper Samuel Bartolo turned his shot to a corner.

The Paolites kept insisting and after Matthew Hammett was fouled on the right flank Bartolo saved the free kick shot by Dylan Sammut and Hammett then served Gatt with a through ball on the left flank and the ball was cleared to a corner from his cross.

In the 25th minute Pieta were awarded a penalty. After a well-taken flag kick by Agius, Matthew Hammet was standing on the goal line and did the goal-keeping act by turnung the ball to a corner with his hand. He was shown the red card. Zack Muscat took charge of the resultant penalty and Cassar turned the ball to a corner with a diving save to the joy of the Paola numerous supporters.

Seven minutes before the break Paola opened the score: Matthew Tabone was fouled on the right flank and as Sammut floated a perfect ball in the area from the free kick Brandon Gatt scored with a low shot.

Pieta created all the occasions after restart and kept the Paola players defending grimly who also tried to operate on the break despite their numerical disadvantage. Jurgen Pisani served Agius with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to Gauci in the area but a defender cleared his shot to a corner, the same player missed the upright minutes later after being put through by Agius.

The woodwork denied Pieta the equaliser in the 64th minute as Agius served Benjamin Zammit on the right flank and the ball hit the bar from his cross-shot with Cassar beaten and the ball was somehow cleared to safety.

Karl Cutajar was fouled outside the area, the ball was partly cleared from the free kick shot by Christie and Cassar saved in two attempts the rebound shot by Agius. Cassar came to his side's rescue once again as he saved a close-range header by Zammit after a Muscat cross from the left.

Four minutes from the end Paola H were reduced to nine men as Jean P Farrugia was shown the red card for swearing and hardly a minute later Pieta player Ansil Briffa was also shown the red card after a second booking.

Paola H: C. Cassar, M. Vella, K. Tanti, I. Scerri, D. Sammut, Jean L Caruana (N. Bezzina) M. Hammett, Jean P Farrugia, C. Briffa.(A. Azzopardi), M. Tabone (J. Micallef), B. Gatt

Pieta H: S. Bartolo, A. Briffa, J. Pisani (L. Mallia) C. Grech, Z. Muscat, C. Gauci, M. Agius, K. Cutajar, D. Camilleri (C. Cutajar), J. Christie, B. Zammit

Referee: Gjergi Bitri

Player of the match: Christian Cassar (Paola H)

Yellow Card: J.L. Caruana, C. Briffa (Paola H) A. Briffa. D. Camilleri (Pieta H)

Red Card: M. Hammett, J.P. Farrugia (Paola H) A. Briffa (Pieta H)

One way traffic affair

Under/17 Section C 1

Fgura Utd 0

Gozo 9

This match had no story with Gozo dominating the proceedings from start to finish.

As the score clearly indicates the Gozitans were too strong for Fgura and the Gozitans scored at will.

Their best scorer was Michael Bezzina who scored a hat trick.

Kenny Hili and Robert Grima scored a brace each with the other goals coming from Ian Xuereb and Joel Sciberras

Fgura: J. Lagana', L. Bonnici, N. Fenech, L. Bonnici, M. Psaila, M. Caruana, M. Lia, K. Caruana, K. Debattista, R. Briffa, E. Deguara

Gozo: A. Brignoli, J. Sciberras, G. Hili, M. Zammit, R. Vassallo, P. Attard, C. Cordina, K. Hili,P. Xuereb, M. Bezzina,R. Grima.

Referee: Karl Galea

Red Card: M.Psaila (Fgura)

Player of the match: R.Grima (Gozo)