last week, Mosta failed to beat the north sea-siders and eventually have now dropped to third place on 32 points from 14 games, a point less than Sirens from same number of games. Mosta had the lion’s share of exchanges throughout the whole game with sirens trying to act on the break.

Mosta applied the early pressure, a dangerous cross from the right by Lyden Micallef was cleared with difficulty by a Sirens defender and Gianluca Theuma served Alex Cini with a square pass, the latter’s shot was deflected to a corner and from David Causon’s flag kick Chris Sant headed slightly over the bar.

In the first action by Sirens, Etienne Sant served Jonathan Bajada on the right flank and his cross was cleared to a corner and from the flag kick by the same player the ball was cleared with difficulty. Mosta’s response was a run down the right flank by Sergio Dimech who crossed to Lyden Micallef but sirens keeper Richard Vella saved his header.

Sirens forged ahead in the 14th minute. They won a corner kick on the right flank which was well-taken by Bajada and created panic in the Mosta area and in the melee that ensued Zack Galea shot past a helpless Jurgen Muscat. Mosta soon reacted and Micallef served Dimech on the right flank but his cross was cleared to a corner, and at the other end, Bajada served Giovanni Galea in the area and Muscat saved his shot to a corner. Vella had to dive and save a shot by Micallef after a cross from the right by Theuma, and the last action before the break came from sirens when Kenneth Pisani was fouled outside the area and from the free shot by the same player the ball missed the bar by inches.

The second period was totally dominated by Mosta but Sirens managed to survive the onslaught by grim defending and tight marking Sergio Dimech served Lyden Micallef on the right flank but Vella neutralized the ball from his cross, Alex Cini served Gianluca Theuma with a perfect cross from the left but his shot from outside the area missed the upright, David Causon, after winning a loose ball in Sirens’s half, tried his luck from outside the area and Vella tipped the ball over the bar, from the flag kick by James Scerri the ball was partially cleared and the ball hit the bar from the rebound shot by Chris Sant with Vella beaten with the ball finishing out, from another kick by Scerri a header by Jonathan Muscat missed the upright by inches.

On 52 minutes sirens doubled the score against the run of play. After the ball was cleared following a flag kick by Scerri, Bajada controlled the loose ball and served Giovanni Galea with a through ball who advanced and dribbled past the Mosta keeper, who came well out of his charge, entered the area and place the ball in an empty net.

Encouraged by this goal sirens tried again when Pisani served Bajada with a through ball in the area and his lobbed ball missed the bar by a whisker with Muscat beaten, in a last effort by Mosta, Chris Sant served Sergio Dimech with a square pass but his shot missed the upright.

Referee: Paul Apap

Player of match: Sergio Dimech (Mosta)

APS Bank U/16 Section C

Pembroke A. 10

Ghaxaq 0

The final result clearly indicates that there was only one team in the game. Pembroke keeper Matthew Galea had an easy Sunday morning dealing only with back-passes from his colleagues. Ghaxaq managed only one shot from a free-kick, they are still pointless from 14 games and suffered 80 goals in the process.

The hammering commenced as early as the 4th minute. Dylan Abela served Malcolm Sammut II in the area who netted with a low shot, and the same player should have doubled less than a minute later but he drove out from two metres with only Ghaxaq keeper mark Busuttil to beat.

Malcolm Sammut I made it 2-0 on 7 minutes after he was put through in the area by Dylan Abela. Two minutes later the same player made it 3-0 when he breasted the ball in from close range after he was put through in the area by Andrew Micallef. In a rare Ghaxaq attack, Roderick Sciortino served Kursten Borg with a through ball but Galea foiled him with a timely sortie.

It became 4-0 on 18 minutes when Miguel Gauci won a loose ball in is own half and after beating two opponents he served Malcolm Sammut I in the area who netted with a low shot and the same player scored the fifth hardly two minutes later after a square pass by Malcolm Sammut II.

Goal no 6 was scored on the half hour when Jean C Borg served Gauci in the area how scored after dribbling past a defender. Three minutes later Andrew Micallef won a loose ball in Ghaxaq’s half and scored with a lobbed ball from 40 metres to make it 7-0. An eighth goal was scored five minutes before the break as Dylan Abela served Julian Caruana with a through ball who entered the area after beating a defender and scored from inside the goal area.

After Dylan Abela was fouled just outside the area, Busuttil save the free kick shot by Jean C Borg. In an Ghaxaq attack, their best player Noel Bilocca, dribbled past two opponents and his cross from the left was headed away, a corner kick taken by Darren Cilia created havoc in Pembroke’s area, the loose ball was met by Bilocca but he drove well off target, at the other end, from a flag kick from the left flank which was taken by Malcolm Sammut II the best of the far upright and finished in Busuttil’s waiting hands.

Goal No 9 was scored on the hour. Substitute Mark Gatt served Dylan Abela with a long throw-in who netted with a lobbed ball after entering the area, four minutes later it became double figures as substitute Nicholas Calleja served Andrew Micallef in the area who scored with a low shot. Four minutes later the referee signalled the end of the game.

Referee: Anthony J Sammut

Player of match: Andrew Micallef (Pembroke Ath)

Readers are notified that Smash TV broadcasts a full programme on Football Nuseries every Tuesday at 7.30pm. It is repeated on Saturdays at 5pm. The programme is presented by Mario Pisani.