APS Bank U/16 Section A

The Hotspurs are the only team unbeaten in this section and are occupying top spot on 23 points from nine games while St Andrew’s suffered their first defeat and are on 16 points from 7 games.

Pieta were the better outfit but St Andrew’s must be commended for their never-say-die spirit as they battled till the final whistle.

The first period was a balanced affair with both sides having their good moments. Melchior Vella was fouled on the left edge of the area and Saints keeper Ryan Debono saved the free kick shot by Sheldon Grech and Nathan Busuttil, who was a constant headache to the Saints rearguard with his runs and dribbling, served Randall Refalo with a through ball but a defender cleared the ball to a corner.

A free kick shot by St Andrew’s defender Neil Chetcuti caused havoc in Pieta’s area but the ball was somehow cleared to safety and Michael Grima, after a run down the left flank crossed the ball in the area, Pieta keeper Kersten Vella only managed to tip it side-ways and a header by Michael Calleja missed the upright by inches.

Pieta reacted, and from a cross from the right by Nathan Busuttil, Randall Refalo drove out when well placed and in their next attack on 22 minutes they forged ahead. Nathan Busuttil crossed from the right to Sheldon Grech who returned the compliment to Melchior Vella who scored with a hard grounder.

The Pieta keeper was called in action twice in succession foiling Edward Mercieca from concluding with a timely sortie and did likewise on Edward Grima after through passes by Andrew Amato. The last action before the break came from Pieta when after a perfect free kick shot by Sheldon Grech a header by Substitute Wayne Grech missed the upright.

The Hotspurs went straight on the attack after restart. Busuttil served Melchior Vella with a through ball in the area, Debono partially saved his shot with the ball rolling towards the fatal line but a defender cleared it in the nick of time.

Pieta keeper Kersten Vella was injured when he neutralised a dangerous low cross by Nicky Vella Petroni as he was harassed by Amato and had to be substituted by Ryan Cilia.

Pieta doubled on 46 minutes as Busuttil was through in the are and was tripped by a defender and Sheldon Grech converted the resultant penalty, and five minutes later it became 3-0 when defender Cleaven Cassar, up with his forwards, entered the area after dribbling past an opponent, square-passed the ball to Refalo who netted from inside the area.

The pressure from Pieta resumed after this goal and it was no surprise that they scored a fourth goal on 55 minutes. Busuttil was again put through in the area and as the Saints keeper came out of his charge in an attempt to foil him from concluding he tripped him and the same player converted from the spot.

As Pieta were now assured of the result they reduced their pressure and the Saints kept trying till the very end and also managed to score a consolation goal two minutes before the end through Edward Grima after a Michael Calleja cross.

Referee:Mitchell Scerri

Player of match:Nathan Busuttil (Pieta H)

APS Bank U/16 Section C

Pembroke A 0

Zebbug R 2

Following this result Zebbug are on 16 points from seven games while Pembroke are on 12 points from same number of games. The protagonist of this game was Zebbug keeper Brandon Bartolo who effected many good and daring saves thwarting the Pembroke forwards on many occasions.

Zebbug created the early occasions. Steve Garrett served Carlos Zammit from a throw-in, the latter back-passed to Matthew Borg who skied the ball from inside the area, the same player missed the bar by inches after pouncing on a faulty clearance and Carlos Xiriha served Zammit with a through ball and Ryan Cini nearly committed an own-goal when he cleared the ball to a corner.

Pembroke soon reacted as Miguel Gauci served Julian Caruana with a through ball in the area but Bartolo dived and saved his shot to a corner and from Brandon Laudi’s flag kick Bartolo saved a header by Malcolm Sammut.

At the other end, from a Borg flag-kick a header by Elton Calleja missed Pembroke’s upright with keeper Matthew Galea beaten and in a Pembroke counter-attack Laudi served Caruana with a through ball, the latter crossed from the right to Gauci and again Bartolo denied him with a fine diving save.

After Garrett was fouled outside the area, Galea saved to corner from the free kick shot by Calleja and from Borg’s flag-kick Galea was forced to palm the ball away.

Zammit was later fouled by Andrew Micallef, who was shown the yellow card by the official who had good control of the game, and from Borg’s free-kick the ball was cleared away. Pembroke created the last action before the break as Laudi served Caruana with a through ball in the area bur Bartolo foiled him from concluding by diving at his feet and smothered the ball.

The second period started on a very slow pace and the game only came into life after Zebbug opened the score. The first action came from Zebbug as Garret, up with his forwards entered the area after beating a defender and executed a perfect cross from the right but Zammit failed to apply the killer touch from one metre with an open goal at his mercy.

The Yellow-Greens kept trying , and Zammit, after beating a defender back-passed to Substitute Nigel Fenech but his shot from outside the area missed the upright, in a Pembroke swift counter-attack, Laudi put Caruana through in the area, Bartolo partially saved his strong shot and from the rebound shot by Laudi he saved spectacularly to a corner.

On 64 minutes Zebbug opened the score. Kevin Tanti served Nigel Fenech on the right flank and from his cross the ball was met by Zammit who headed past Galea from close range. In an effort to equalise, Pembroke stopper Malcolm Sammut was put through on the right flank but his dangerous cross was neutralised by the alert Bartolo, at the other end, Garrett, again up with the front line, tried his luck from outside the area but Galea denied him with a fine diving save to corner.

In a last fling by Pembroke, they missed an easy scoring chance. Caruana served Sammut with a through ball in the area, Bartolo partially saved the latter’s shot and Caruana, with Bartolo beaten and an open goal at his mercy did the impossible by skying the ball from only one metre, and they paid dearly for this miss as Zebbug scored a second goal in their last attack two minutes into injury time. Substitute Nigel Fenech was put through on the right flank, from his perfect cross the ball was met by Garrett who first-timed it in the net past a helpless Galea.

Referee: Pierre Saliba

Player of match: Brandon Bartolo (Zebbug R)