After a very shaky start during the first period leaders Valletta made sure of the result after restart scoring four goals. They are sole leaders on 44 points from 16 games while Marsaxlokk are in 6th place on 20 points.

The first action came from Marsaxlokk as Giulio Farrugia served Daniel Farrugia with a long throw - in the area but City keeper Dunstan Zarb, son of ex-Valletta player Joe, saved the latter’s weak shot, at the other end, Marsaxlokk keeper Luca Bugeja saved a header by Yessous Camilleri after a well-taken flag kick by Justin Muscat.

Marsaxlokk threatened again through Justin Bonnici who was put through in the area by Giulio Farrugia but Zarb saved his header. After Justin Bonnici was fouled by a defender. The last action before the break came from Valletta when Bydasser Sammut served Neil Chircop in the area but Bugeja foiled him from concluding by diving at his feet and smothered the ball.

The second period was hardly a minute old when Valletta took the lead. Anatoly Tishchenko served Muscat with a through ball on the left flank, from the latter’s cross Bugeja fumbled the ball in an effort to neutralise it and it came in the path of Sammut who had the easiest of tasks to place the ball in an empty net.

Encouraged by this early lead, Valletta started mounting attack after another, and four minutes later they doubled the score. Kurt Attard served Karl Zammit from a throw-in who turn served Sammut in area who made no mistake with a low shot. Tishchenko then served Attard on the right flank and his cross was cleared to a corner.

The score became 3-0 on 52 minutes, Kurt Attard dribbled past two defenders on the right flank and from his cross Sammut scored his side’s third goal and his personal hat-trick. The fourth goal was scored on the hour. Tishchenko served Sammut with a through ball and after Bugeja partially saved his shot from outside the area Attard was on hand to shoot in the rebound.

In Marsaxlokk’s only attack in the second period Steve Scicluna put Daniel Farrugia through outside the area but Tonio Mackay foiled him with a timely clearance and just before the final whistle a free kick shot by Neil Chircop missed the bar by inches.

Referee: Marco Schiatti (FIGC)

Player of match: Bydasser Sammut (Valletta)

APS Bank U/16 Section C

Gudja Utd 4

Gzira Utd 1

Gudja dominated their opponents throughout the whole 80 minutes and fully deserved the verdict. The Maroons tried to operate on the break but the Gudja rearguard was a very hard nut to crack. Following this result Gudja are in 4th Place on 31 points from 13 games while Gzira are in 5th place with 26 points from 15 games.

The first threats came from Gudja. Malcolm Bugeja served Terence Vella in the area but he delayed his shot and a Gzira defender cleared the ball, Robert Portelli put Bugeja through in the area and Gzira keeper Justin Ellul saved his shot in two attempts. In a Gzira counter-attack, Clayton Attard served Shaun Attard with a through ball and after he was fouled outside the area Gudja keeper Keith Borg Xuereb saved in two attempts the free kick shot by Lothar Gauci.

Gudja resumed with their pressure, Juan Galdes floated a perfect ball in the area from a free kick and the ball missed the upright from a header by Terence Vella, the same player entered the area after beating two defenders on the right flank and his shot was deflected to a corner.

In the 17th minute Gudja opened the score. Terence Vella dribbled past two opponents on the left flank and from his cross Franklin Abela scored with a rising shot from inside the area.

After this goal Gudja continued mounting attack after another. Robert Portelli put Terence Vella through in the area but he failed to control the ball from an ideal position, Malcolm Bugeja served Robert Portelli with a short corner from the right and Vella’s header was saved by Ellul. On 33 minutes Gudja doubled the score when Malcolm Bugeja served Vella in the area who after beating a defender netted with a hard low shot and in the last action before the break Vella served Franklin Abela with a cross from the left and his close range shot missed the upright by inches.

The first two actions after restart came from Gzira. Lothar Gauci floated a perfect ball in the area from a free kick but Shaun

Attard failed to get his head to the ball and Luke Caruana Cossai served Dominic Sciberras in the area but he drove slightly over the bar. Gudja soon reacted as Malcolm Bugeja served Vella on the right flank and after the latter’s cross a shot by Abela missed the upright.

It became 3-0 on 51 minutes when a corner kick by Bugeja created havoc in the maroons area and with the Gzira defenders doing the standstill act Vella first -timed the ball past a helpless Ellul.

Five minutes later the same player scored his side’s fourth goal and his personal hat-trick after he was served right on the flank by Bugeja Gudja kept trying for more goals, Vella served Portelli with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to Bugeja but he drove over the bar and in a double one - two between Vella and substitute Glenn Debattista finished with the latter’s shot being turned to a corner by Ellul. Three minutes before the Gzira reduced the gap through Clayton Attard after a Caruana Cossai through pass in the area.

Referee: Federico Sassari (FIGC)

Player of Match: Terence Vella (Gudja Utd)

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