Leaders St Andrew’s suffered a second defeat in a row against a sprightly Valletta side who were faster on the ball and also certain in whatever they did. St Andrew’s looked more like a bunch of sleep-walkers, especially in the first period. They were slightly better after resumption but still Valletta managed to maintain their superiority. Following this result, St Andrew’s are still leading the table on 24 points from 10 games while Valletta are on 13 points from eight games.

Valletta created the first occasions. Bydasser Sammut was fouled outside the area and from the freekick shot by Neil Goodlip the ball was deflected by the defensive wall and Saints keeper Gian Luca Fino easily smothered the ball.

Leon Camilleri served Neil Chircop in the area from a long throw-in and the ball hit the base of the upright from the latter’s shot with Fino beaten and in a Saints reaction Kurt Galea served Edward Mercieca in the area but the ball missed the upright from his header.

In the 19th minute Valletta opened the score. Bydasser Sammut served Goodlip with a cross from the left flank after a solo run and scored from inside the area with the Saints defenders doing the standstill act. Five minutes later they doubled through Sammut after he was served with a cross from the right flank by Neil Chircop and on the half hour the score became 3-0 when Goodlip pounced on a faulty clearance and scored a beauty with a fine rising shot from 25 metres. The only action before the break was created by St Andrew's as Michael Lowell served Karl Seychell with a through ball in the area but City keeper Dunstan Zarb foiled him from concluding with a perfect timely sortie.

St Andrew’s were slightly better after resumption. Kurt Galea served Michael Grima with a cross-pass from the left but Zarb saved the latter’s shot from outside the area. Nicholas Vella Petroni served Edward Grima in the area but Zarb foiled him with a timely sortie. Andrew Amato served Vella Petroni with a cross from the left but the alert Zarb saved his shot from outside the area. Valletta won a corner kick on the right flank which was well-taken by Chircop and from Goodlip’s header Fino partially saved the ball which was then cleared to safety.

The Saints kept trying but they were finding difficulty to beat the Valletta rearguard. Edward Mercieca served Edward Grima in the area. A defender cleared the ball to a corner and from Michael Grima's flagkick the ball was cleared to another corner.

Alan Calleja served Amato in the area and Zarb turned his close-range shot to a corner and later was forced to come out of his charge and kick the ball to safety to foil Edward Grima from advancing any further after an Amato through ball.

Ten minutes from the end, Valletta came very close to adding another goal but Fino dived and saved to a corner a close-range shot by Adrian Carabott after a perfect cross from the right by Goodlip and two minutes before the end, Zarb had to dive and save to a corner a hard long range shot by Edward Grima.

Referee - Brian Bonnici

Player of the match - Neil Goodlip (Valletta)

APS Bank U/16 Section C

Attard 3

Gudja Utd 0

Attard dominated and dictated matters during the whole 80 minutes. Gudja tried very hard to operate on the break against a solid midfield sector and defence, their keeper Renald Portelli saved them from a much heavier defeat with his daring saves and timely interceptions.

Following this game Attard are in second place on maximum points from nine games with a very good chance for promotion next season and Gudja are in eighth place having 12 points from 10 games.

Attard went straight on the offensive from the very first whistle. After a run down the right flank by Jairo Caruana, he served Jurgen Stellini with across who in turn served Kurt Zahra with a back-pass but he drove over the ball from outside the area.

Christopher Micallef floated a perfect ball in the area from a freekick but he found no takers and the ball was easily neutralised by Portelli. Kurt Zahra served Edward Azzopardi with a through ball on the left flank and from his cross the ball was headed away by a defender. After Zahra dribbled past a defender on the left flank he served Caruana with a cross-pass and Portelli saved the latter’s shot from inside the area.

In the 19th minute, Azzopardi should have opened the score but with an open goal at his mercy he drove over the bar from two metres after a perfect cross by Christopher Micallef, but he made amends a minute later as after the ball was partially cleared from across by Zahra he was on hand to shoot in the rebound with a hard grounder. Attard resumed with their pressure. Azzopardi entered the area after beating two defenders and Portelli saved his shot. Jude Bugeja served Saverio Savo with a through ball in the area but the ball missed the upright from his lob-shot and Caruana served Zahra with a cross-pass from the left and Portelli denied him with a fine diving save and in a rare Gudja attack Chris Pulis served Franklin Abela with a square pass but he drove the ball over the bar from outside the area.

And the last action before the break was created by Attard when Josef Cutajar was fouled outside the area and Portelli turned the ball to a corner from the freekick shot by Andrew Agius.

The second period was a carbon copy of he first period with Attard dictating the matters. Chris Micallef served Savo with a through ball in the area but he drove well over the bar. After a Caruana flagkick Portelli saved the ball to another corner from a close range shot by Savo.

The score became 2-0 in the 52nd minute as Savo entered the area after beating a defender and served Caruana with a through ball who scored with a low shot.

Gudja tried to react but with no success when Franklin Abela served Chris Pulis with a through ball in the area but Andrew Agius back-headed the ball to his keeper Karl Bugeja who had an easy Sunday morning as he was never troubled by the Gudja forwards. At the other end, Zahra entered the area after beating two defenders, crossed the ball to Azzopardi and the ball missed the bar by inches from his shot.

In the 68th minute, the score became 3-0. Substitute Julien Iwoeke served Zahra with a through ball outside Gudja’s and he scored a beauty with a fine rising shot from 20 metres. The last action before the end also came from Attard when following a flagkick by Micallef, Portelli turned the ball to a corner after a header by Agius.

Referee - Tristan Farrugia

Player of the match - Jairo Caruana (Attard)

Basketball - Div II BOV KO

St. James Hospital 66

Mosta 46

(14-11)(19-7)(17-10)(16-18)

St James reach KO semi-final

St James recovered from their shock league defeat by Valletta, to advance to the K.O. semi finals, with their fourth seasonal victory over Mosta. The latter always had a tough time to cope with the speed of their adversaries, as St James?agility, both on and off the ball, had Mosta at full stretch.

The Saints recovered Steve Pace and Stefan Vella from their last match. Mosta had Steve Gouder, Joe Vassallo and Mark Ciantar returning, after missing some matches, but had five players absent from their team list.

St James made the first two hoops of the game, and then Mosta began to reply to every basket made by the opposing side. It was Jonathan Ransley for the Saints and Steve Gouder for Mosta, who potted the most points in the session, as St James held a small lead.

In the second quarter Mosta were hit badly, as the Saints pressed them on many an occasion. A long 17-0 run, as Nigel Sultana and Steve Pace spearheaded their side’s attack, put the Saints out of reach. Mosta, however, had a good ending, with some Mark Ciantar Ciantar free throws. At the interval St James were leading 33-18.

After the break St James let loose with their treys. Steve Pace started them off, with three of his own, and David Aquilina replied likewise, in between, with a single trey, for Mosta. Then it was Clint Grixti, who followed up with another trey, and also some free shots, as Mosta fell further behind. After three sessions St James had their minds at rest, with a 50-28 advantage.

In the final quarter St James were still putting in their hoops, but Mosta struck a good patch, with points by Gouder and Joe Vassallo, in a 10-2 run, which enhanced their score. Nigel Sultana replied for the Saints, as their young bench players made their way on court. The game ended with some open play, and a Shawn Pace trey for St James, as they now chase their second seasonal honour.

St James: 18 Steve Pace, 15 Nigel Sultana, 13 Jonathan Ransley

Mosta: 16 Steve Gouder, 8 Mark Ciantar

Referees: Bernard Vassallo, Alfred Carbonaro