VICTOR CIANGURA



Good Causes Fund Cup

U/15 Knock Out Final

This final was watched by a large crowd at Luxol Ground who gave a great support to both teams. Both sets of forwards found it very difficult to penetrate the opposing defenders and shots at goal were as scarse as rain in July.

In a first period with very few actions, Pieta enjoyed the lion's ahare of exchanges. the first action came from Pembroke after four minutes when Siram Arab was fouled on the right flank and Keith Calleja floated a perfect ball in the area from the free kick but Siram Arab headed out.

Pieta then created four actions in a row. Cain Attard served Daniel Xuereb with a cross from the right but he headed over the bar. Terence Agius served Luke Busuttil on the right flank and a defender cleared the ball to a corner from his cross.

After Agius was fouled outside the area the ball hit the defensive barrier from the free kick shot by Dylan Xuereb and was cleared to safety and Godwin McKay was then fouled outside the area and the ball was cleared to a corner following the free kick shot by Daniel Zerafa. The last action before the break came from Pembroke when substitute Karl Grech served Jean P Cassar with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to Lee Grech in the area but he failed to make contact with the ball.

The first action after reatart was after six minutes as Daniel Zerafa was fouled just outside the area and Agius drove over the bar from the free kick. Zachary Gatt then served Attard on the left flank and Pembroke keeper Matthew Calleja palmed the ball away following his cross, the ball came in the path of Siram Arab who after a run down the right flank he served Jean P Cassar with a cross in the area but he failed the killer touch with only Pieta keeper Dylan Cacciatolo to beat.

Pembroke then won a free kick after Busuttil handled the ball outside the area and the ball was cleared with difficulty following the free kick shot by Keith Calleja. In the 41st minute Daniel Zerafa committed the miss-of-the-match when he was served in the area by Agius and with Calleja well out of his charge he incredibily drove out with an open goal at his mercy.

In the 42nd minute Pieta broke the deadlock as Daniel Zerafa was fouled outside the area, Xuereb floated a perfect ball in the area from the free kick and Agius headed in past Calleja to the joy of the numerous Pieta supporters. The reaction by Pembroke following this seteback was a through ball in the area by Christopher Muscat who served Siram Arab but Cacciatolo foiled him with a timely sortie.

Three minutes before the end Pieta came close to incease their lead when Franklin Agius was fouled on the right flank and after the free kick shot by Xuereb, Zerafa missed the upright with his header from inside the area, and in the last action by Pembroke, after Siram Arab was fouled outside the area, Franklin Schembri served Samir Arab with a short free kick pass and the ball was cleared by a defender as he tried his luck from outside the area.

After the game, Youth FA Chairman Fr Hilary Tagliaferro presented the trophy to Pieta captain Terence Agius and medals to both sets of palyers including the substitutes and also to the match officials.

Pieta H: D.Cacciatolo, F.Agius, M.Bonello, Z.Gatt, G.Ghigo, D.Zerafa, C.Attard (C.Stewart 44), T.Agius, D.Xuereb, L.Busuttil, G.McKay (J.Papagiorcupolo 50)

Pembroke Ath : M.Calleja, K.Sultana, F.Schembri, S.Arab, C.Muscat, D.Brooks, K.Calleja, J.P.Cassar (S.Vella 44), L.Grech, Siram Arab, D.Suda (K.Grech 25)

Referee: Roberto Vella



Good Causes Fund Cup

U/17 Knock Out Final

This game was also watched by a large crowd at Luxol Ground and gave great support to both teams. Paola Hibs managed to win the double as they have also finished in top spot in Section A while San Gwann managed to place third.

Very few were the actions in the first 40 minutes with the first one being created by the Paolites. Matthew Tabone served Christian Briffa with a through ball but San Gwann keeper Jean Vella saved his header from outside the area. San Gwann then created two actions in a row: Steven Pisani served Dylan Mallia in the area but Hibs keeper Christian Cassar was able to save his weak shot and Mallia served Glenn Agius with a through ball and after he was fouled outside the area the ball was deflected to a corner from the free kick shot by Pisani.

All the actions before the break were createed by Hibs. Ian Scerri sserved Nicholas Bezzina in the area but Vella foiled him with a timely sortie. Rene' Duca, after beating two defenders tried his luck from outside the area but he drove over the bar and Tabone served Scerri in the areea with a cross from the right but Vella saved his effort/

The second period was more action-packed and San Gwann mounted the first two actions. Steven Pisani, after beating a defender entered the area and Cassar saved his close-range shot and after the same player was fouled outside the area the ball finished slightly out from the free kick shot by Gianluca Agius.

In Hibs' next attack in the 47th minute they opened the score as Joseph Massa served Matthew Hammett with a through ball and he scored with a rising shot from outside the area, and minutes later the same player was fouled outside the area and from the free kick shot by Dylan Sammut the ball hit the defensive barrier and was cleared to safety.

San Gwann equalised in the 54th minute. Lee Galea won a tussle in his opponents half, dribbled past an opponent on the right flank and as he entered the area, though harrassed by two defenders he served Mallia with a cross who shot past Cassar from close range. Galea was then fouled outside the area and the ball finished over the bar from the free kick shot by Pisani.

In the 64th minute Hibs came close to score the winner when Scerri served Duca with a through ball and the ball missed the upright as he tried his luck from outside the area. Hibs kept trying, Massa was fouled outside the area, Scerri served Hammett with a short free kick pass and the ball finished over the bar after his effort from outside the area and Duca served Brandon Gatt with a cross from the right but Vella denied him with a fine diving save, and in the first minute of added time Mallia should have sealed the issue for San Gwann when he was put through in the area by Peter Xuereb but with only Cassar to beat he hit the side-netting. As the score ended 1-1 after normal time, extra time had to be played.

There were only four actions worthy of note in the first period of extra time. Hammett received the ball from a long drop-kick by Cassar and after a run down the right flank he drove out from outside the area. San Gwann reacted as Xuereb served Glenn Agius in the area but Vella saved his shot. Vella then turned the ball to a corner from the free kick shot by Dylan Sammut, and the last action came from San Gwann as Pisani served Glenn Agius with a through ball and after he was fouled Pisani drove well over the bar from the free kick.

Both sets of players seemed to have tired out as there were only three actions worthy of note in the second half of extra time and these were all created by San Gwann. Pisani was fouled in his own half and the ball finished out from the free kick shot by Keith Vella. Quincy Bregman was then fouled outside the area and the ball was headed away following the free kick shot by Keith Vella and Pisani was again fouled in his own half and the ball was cleared to a corner after the free kick shot by Keith Vella. Penalty kicks had to be taken to determine the winner.

After each side took five penalties each the score stood at 4-4. For San Gwann four were scored by Pisani, Luke Borg, Xuereb and Christian Grech and Cassar saved on Glenn Agius, while for Paola H four were scored by Tabone, Hammett, Azzopardi and Sammut and Vella saved on Massa. Keith Vella drove over the bar and Malcolm Vella scored the decisive penalty for Paola H for a final score of 6-5 after the penalty shoot-out.

After the game, Mr Alex Grima from the Ministry of Finace presente the trophy to Paola H captain Christian Cassar and medals to botth sets of players and substitutes and also to the match officials.

Paola H: C.Cassar, K.Tanti, M.Vella, R.Duca (A.Azzopardi 100), D.Sammut, I.Scerri, N.Bezzina, J.L.Caruana, M.Tabone, J.Massa, C.Briffa

San Gwann: J.M.Vella, M.Borg, G.Agius, L.Borg, Q.Bregman, S.Pisani, P.Xuereb, D.Mallia(C.Grech 109), K.Vella,Glenn Agius,I.Zammit.

Referee: Philip Farrugia