The final score is a clear indication that there was only one team in the game, so superior were Attard that Xghajra did not create one single occasion during the game which was totally dominated by Attard who lead the standings on 49 points from 17 games while Xghajra are in penultimate position with only 8 points from 16 games.

Attard went straight on the offensive from the very first whistle: Josef Cutajar served Kurt Zahra with a square pass but he missed the upright from inside the area, Andrew Agius served Edward Azzopardi with a cross from the left but he headed alightly out and Cutajar entered the area after beating three defenders and Xghajra keeper Brendon Mercieca came out of his charge to smother the ball.

The rout commenced in the 12th minute when Agius served Zahra with a square pass outside the area and he scored with a rising shot, four minutes later the same player made it 2-0 after a cross from the left by Cutajar was partly cleared and he shot in the rebound, and four minutes later he obtained a hat-trick after entering the area following a pass by Jurgen Stellini.

In the 24th minute the score became 4-0 from a header by Jairo Caruana after a flag kick by Zahra and in the 33rd minute it became 5-0 as Stellini served Zahra in the area, Mercicea partialy saved his shot and Caruana netted from the rebound, and in the last action before the break Cutajar was fouled outside the area and Agius missed the upright from the free kick shot.

Despite being assured of the result Attard resumed with their pressing. Cutajar was fouled outside the area and Agius missed the bar by inches from the free kick shot.

Azzopardi was then fouled on the right edge of the area, Zahra served Chris Micallef in the area with a short pass from the free kick and after Mercieca partially saved his shot the ball was cleared with difficulty.

The score became 6-0 in the 57th minute as substitute Julien Iwueke served Cutajar with a square pass and he scored a beauty with a rising shot from outside the area and three minutes later Attard scored their seventh and final goal through Zahra from outside the area after a cross from the left by Stellini.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri

Player of the match: Kurt Zahra (Attard)

APS Bank U/16 Section C

Pembroke Ath 3

Lija -Iklin 0

Pembroke were the better outfit during the game creating more chances than Lija-Iklin. They are now on 46 points from 16 games while Lija-Iklin are in third place on 39 points from 17 games.

The winner of this Section will most propably be determined with a decider as Pembroke and Attard are chasing each other.

The game was only two minutes old when Pembroke opened the score: Daniel Caruana was fouled on the left flank of the area and from the free kick shot by Jean Claude Borg Lija-Iklin keeper Neil Mangion failed to grasp the ball and it rolled over the fatal line, but minutes later he saved a shot from inside the area by Andrew Muscat after he was put through by Brandon Laudi

In the 10th minute Lija-Iklin were denied by the woodwork when Mariolino Bugeja served Daniel Dimech with a square pass and the ball hit the upright from his close-range shot with Pembroke keeper Dwayne Grech beaten and the ball was cleared with difficulty.

The score became 2-0 in the 16th minute as Keith Grech served Borg with a square pass who in turn served Laudi in the area who netted with a low shot, and in a Lija-Iklin reaction Daniel Dimech served Bugeja on the edge of the area but Grech saved his shot.

In the 27th minute it was Pembroke’s turn to be denied by the woodwork: from a Keith Grech corner kick the ball was partially cleared and from the rebound shot by Borg the ball thumped the crossbar and somehow it was cleared to safety.

The last two actions before the break were created by Pembroke: Borg served Caruana with a square pass, the latter served Laudi in the area but the ball missed the upright from his shot and Lija-Iklin player Joseph Pace was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on David Attard and from the resultant free kick shot by Borg the ball missed the upright by inches.

Lija-Iklin created the first two actions after restart:Jeffrey Azzopardi served Bugeja with a cross from the left and the ball missed the bar by inches from his shot from outside the and David Attard served the same player with a cross from the right and Pembroke keeper Dwayne Grech saved his shot.

In Pembroke’s next attack in the 54th minute they scored a third goal as Jean Claude Borg served Laudi in the area who scored with a lobbed ball, at the other end minutes later, Daniel Dimech served Attard with a through ball in the area but his shot was saved by Grech.

Pembroke reacted as Jean Claude Borg served substitute Julian Caruana in the area and Mangion turned his shot to a corner, the last two actions before the end came both from Lija-Iklin as from a flag kick by Attard, Joseph Pace headed slightly out and two minutes before the end Lija-Iklin were again denied by the woodwork as the ball hit the bar from a shot by Muscat after a Joseph Pace through pass.

Referee: Jurgen Meli

Player of the match: Keith Grech (Pembroke Ath)

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