The five goals that separated Pieta Hotspurs from rivals Mqabba, aptly reflected the flow and ebb of a game too one-sided to be called a contest, as the Hotspurs won this battle of the basement with relative ease.
Punctuated by some inspiring wing play by Edward Herrera, teasing crosses and some incisive finishing, this was an afternoon when Pieta looked almost irrsesitible. Kondev and Galabov bossed in midfield, basking in their side’s superiority to demolish a poor Mqabba side, bereft of conviction.
And when Martin Deanov finished off Herrera’s cross from the right to put Pieta Hotspurs in front after five minutes, practically in their first genuine attack, many might had already figured out the final outcome. Pieta had beaten Mqabba 6-1 in this same first round fixture, but when further goals did not follow for the rest of the half, Mqabba seemed capable of avoiding another goal deluge.
That was mainly because Pieta squandered chances galore, in the first half. Galabov, who played in front of the defence yesterday, propelled several inviting passes to his team mates. He put Kondev through on the half hour but keeper Psaila rushed out to block at his feet. Deanov shot wide on a Herrera cross and on 35 minutes Sammut played one-two with Pulo but keeper Psaila footed out his effort, only for Kondev to shoot the loose ball over.
Five minutes from halftime, Galabov played an inviting ball forward to Kokavessis, who clear in front of goal, contrived to miss the target.
Mqabba hardly ever troubled keeper Montfort in the first half, perpetually raking long balls forward in the hope that the solitary Pereira might create some sort of danger.
Pieta were less erratic upon resumption, and their more direct approach enabled them to score twice within the first ten minutes of the second half and practically put the issue beyond doubt.
As no one could connect on Camilleri’s low cross from the right, substitute Quilin Refalo ran in from a deep position on the left to hit in the ball first time on 52 minutes.
Three minutes later Martin Deanov collected Kondev’s pass and beat an opponent before steering the ball low below the keeper’s body.
On 66 minutes, poor Mqabba suffered a further setback when their keeper Psaila was sent off after flooring Pulo inside the area. Mqabba, who had already effected all their three substitutions, were forced to put Claudio Calleja in goal for the rest of the match. He nearly saved Svetlan Kondev’s ensuing penalty kick, only to let ball slip from under his his arms and roll over the goal line.
Pieta added a fifth with 13 minutes remaining. Svetlan Kondev scored with another routine tap-in after connecting on yet another Herrera cross.
Seven minutes from full time, Mqabba were unlucky not to pull a consolation goal as Mintoff hit the upright on Pereira’s cross. But that would have only served for statistical purposes.