APS Bank Under 16 Section A

Pieta H 1

Sliema W 2

A very enjoyable and keenly contested game, which was watched by a good-sized crowd. Following this win Sliema are on 15 points from seven games in joint second place with Paola H but the latter have a game in hand.

Sliema created the first action when Luca Mottola dribbled past two Pieta defenders, served Amadeo Mercieca with a through ball in the area but Pieta keeper Samuel Bartolo foiled him from concluding with a timely sortie.

At the other end, Matthew Agius was fouled by Melvin Mifsud and Blues keeper Nikki Azzopardi saved Ishmael Grech’s free kick.

Pieta came very close in the 14th minute as Matthew Agius served Clifford Gauci with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to David Caruana in the area and from the latter’s shot Azzopardi partly saved the ball which was cleared to safety by a defender.

Sliema came very close three minutes later but Mercieca failed to apply the killer touch, arriving late on Grech’s cross.

In the 22nd minute Sliema broke the deadlock. Amadeo Mercieca served Grech in the area after beating a defender and he scored with a low shot.

Six minutes later Pieta should have been awarded a penalty when David Caruana was pushed from behind inside the Sliema area but the referee, who was very close to the action, waved play on.

The score became 2-0 on the half hour. After a run down the left flank, Mottola crossed the ball and Pieta defender Ishmael Grech, harassed by Klinsman Grech, had the misfortune of deflecting the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear it to safety.

Two minutes later Pieta pulled one back. After a run down the right flank by Randall Refalo he crossed the ball into the Blues area and a defender pulled David Caruana, this time the referee said yes, and Refalo made no mistake from the spot with an angled rising shot sending the Sliema keeper the wrong way of the ball.

The first action worthy of note came 12 minutes after the restart. Ray Attard was fouled just outside Pieta’s area and from the free kick shot by the same player the ball was cleared to a corner. From the flag kick by Grech the ball was partially cleared and the ball was cleared on the line from the rebound shot by Mottola.

Sliema kept pressing and after a run down the right flank by Mercieca, who out-sped three opponents in the process, the ball was cleared to a comer after his cross, Grech then served Mercieca in the area and Bartolo saved the latter’s shot. Sliema were reduced to 10 men in the 62nd minute as Klinsmann Grech was shown the red card after a second booking.

Pieta took advantage of the numerical superiority and tried very hard to save the game as they created three actions in succession.

Caruana missed the upright with his header, and he did likewise minutes later after a perfect Refalo cross from the right flank and from a flag kick by Clifford Gauci, Kyle Darmanin headed slightly out.

Referee: Thomas Debono

Player of the match: Amadeo Mercieca ( Sliema W)