VICTOR CIANGURA

Season 2006-07 came to an end recently at the Luxol Ground when the Knock Out Competition finals of the Under 14 and Under 16 were played. Both games were well-attended by sizeable crowds who also were well-behaved.

Pieta Hotspurs 1

Floriana 2

Youth FA Under 14 Final

This final was contested between Section A Winners Pieta H and runners-up Floriana.

Both teams had a totally different task to reach the final. Pieta were drawn against Section C Winners Qormi and Mellieha who placed third in Section B while Floriana had to beat Paola H who placed third in Section A and Hamrun Spartans who were runners-up in Section B.

Pieta were the first to threaten. Clifford Gauci served Benjamin Zammit in the area but Greens keeper Daniel Said saved his shot and after Matthew Tabone served Gauci in the area he hit the side-netting with his shot.

From a flag kick by Spiter,i Pieta keeper Samuel Bartolo saved a header by Bernard Pisani. Floriana kept insisting and won a free kick outside Pieta’s area and Clive Farrugia floated a perfect ball in the area and Gauci had to clear it to a throw-in.

In the 19th minute Mark Spiteri should have opened the score for Floriana but he drove out, with only Bartolo to beat, as the ball came into his path after a faulty clearance following a cross from the right by Warren Cardona.

In the 23rd minute Floriana opened the score after a prolonged action which involved seven players. After a run down the right flank, Warren Cardona served Spiteri in the area, Bartolo had to come out of his charge and kick the ball to a throw-in, from the long throw by Francois Piccione, the ball was partially headed by Ryan Farrugia and came to Spiteri who passed the ball to Cardona. The latter shot it into the net with a hard grounder. Three minutes before the interval the score became 2-0. Spiteri won a ball outside the Pieta area, he served Cardona in the area with a through ball and with the Pieta defenders stopping for off-side he advanced unhindered and shot the ball in the roof of the net.

Soon after the resumption Pieta were all out to try and get back in the game and created the first three actions.

James Paris dribbled past an opponent on the left flank but the ball finished out from his cross-shot, David Caruana entered the area after beating a defender and Said foiled him from concluding as he dived at his feet and smothered the ball. He later saved on Gauci after receiving a square pass by Paris from the left flank.

On 41 minutes Pieta reduced the gap as Benjamin Zammit pounced on a faulty clearance and, after entering the area, he scored with a rising shot despite being harassed by an opponent. From then on there were only three more actions worthy of note as both sets of players seemed to tire out.

Brooke Farrugia was fouled just outside Pieta’s area, from the free kick by Spiteri, Bartolo partially fisted the ball which came in the path of Bernard Pisani and a defender cleared the ball to a corner from his shot.

The last two actions came from Pieta. Substitute Ayrton Azzopardi was fouled by Floriana player Alan Abela who was shown the yellow card and after the free kick by Jurgen Pisani from midfield, the ball was cleared away.

Aminute before normal time Pieta came very close to equalise when James Christie was fouled on the right edge of the area, from the free kick by James Paris the ball was partially cleared and from a “rovesciata” by Christiano Grech the ball missed the upright.

Referee: Alexei Tabone

Assistants: Alex Sammut and Paul Sant Cassia

After the match Mr Ludovico Bartolo MFA Vice President presented medals to both sets of players and the Trophy to Floriana captain Alan Abela.