APS Bank U-14 Section B

Tarxien R 1

Balzan Y 0

This game never reached any heights as play was restricted to midfield for quite some time and shots at goal were very scarce.

Tarxien managed to maintain second spot and are now on 18 points from eight games behind leaders St Patrick who are on 20 points from same number of games. Balzan lie fifth from bottom with eight points from an identical number of outings.

Tarxien created the first two occasions a Stephen Micallef served Andre’ Piscopo with a through ball in the area but he was foiled from concluding by the Balzan keeper

A well-taken corner kick by Darrel Grech found no takers in Balzan’s area and the ball was easily cleared by the defenders.

Balzan’s reaction was a freekick by Clayton Cachia which was easily saved by Tarxien keeper Andrei Grech.

The Blues soon regained the initiative and looked dangerous on set pieces.

The last action before the break came from Balzan when Dylan Vella served Jurgen Muscat with a through ball on the right flank but Tarxien keeper Grech neutralized the ball from his cross.

Balzan created the first two actions after the break. From a flagkick by Kevin Farrugia the ball was cleared away with difficulty and in the 40th minute Jurgen Muscat should have opened the score for Balzan when he was neatly put through in Tarxien’s area from a Darrel Cassar perfect pass but he drove out with a lobbed ball with an open goal at his mercy.

Balzan kept trying and Kevin Camilleri served Kevin Farrugia with a through ball in the area but Grech foiled him with a timely sortie and later he was forced to come out of his charge to kick the ball away to safety after Matthew Mifsud was served with a perfect through pass by Brandon Zarb.

The goal that settled the issue arrived four minutes from normal time as from a corner kick by Stephen Micallef, the Balzan defenders were caught in six’s and seven’s and Andre’ Piscopo made the most of their indecision by netting with a hard grounder past a helpless Cipriott.

In a last fling by Balzan they managed to win a corner on the right flank which was taken by Kevin Farrugia and Grech saved in two attempts a shot from inside the area.

In the second minute of added time Tarxien came close to double the score from a Brandon Muscat corner, but Balzan keeper Cipriott saved the header by substitute Patrick Massa.

Referee:Wayne Minton

Player of the match:Brandon Muscat (Tarxien R)