APS Bank U-16 Section B
St Patrick 4
Qormi 3
St Patrick are in top spot on 42 points from 21 games while Qormi are second on 41 points from 20 games and if they win their last two remaining games they will be declared Section winners which means promotion to Section A next season.
The game was action-packed and played at a very fast pace and both teams had their very good moments throughout the 80 minutes. Referee Fyodor Zammit had a firm control of the proceedings.
By the quarter hour St Patrick opened the score. Jurgen Farrugia served Randall Cassar with a cross in the area, the ball hit the under-part of the bar from his hot and rebounded in play and Owen Mizzi darted to head the ball in. While rejoicing he pulled the front of his shirt over his head and was shown the yellow card, on seeing the yellow card he applauded the referee who immediately showed him a second yellow card which meant automatic dimissal.
Qormi then won a free kick on the right flank after Gerada was fouled and the ball was cleared with difficulty after the free kick shot by Chircop.
The score became 2-0 in the 21st minute as Farrugia served Pace with a cross from the left who shot past Qormi keeper Kurt Fenech after entering the area. Moments later Qormi won a free kick on the right edge of the area and from the free kick shot by Chircop, Farrugia headed the ball the wrong way of goal.
St Patrick scored a third goal on 27 minutes. Pace served Farrugia with a through ball on the edge of the area and he scored a beauty witha hard rising shot. Qormi pulled one back in the 34th minute as Jurge Stanyer served Gerada in the area who netted with a grounder. Two minutes before half time Joel Felice should have scored another one for Qormi when after a flag kick by Farrugia was partially cleared he skied the ball from inside the area from a very ideal position.
The second period was also action-packed and the first action came from Qormi. Gerada served on substitute Alessio Cassar in the area but he drove over the bar. Randall Cassar served Ryan Cassar in the area but his lobbed ball missed Qormi's upright by a whisker.
The Saints increased their lead in the 54th minute. Farrugia controlled a loose ball ouyside Qormi's area and served Randall Cassar witha through ball who entered the area after beating a defender and scored with a hard grounder. Three minutes later Qormi scored their second goal when Kurt Scorfna served Chircop with a short pass from a free kick who floated the ball in the Saints area and Andrea Vella scored with a header.
In the 62nd minute Qormi were awarded a penalty as Chircop served Stanyer in the area and he was tripped by Randall Cassar and Chircop made no mistake from the spot to make the score 3-4.
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
Player of the match: Jurgen Farrugia (St Patrick)
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APS Bank U-14 Section A
Floriana 1
Valletta 0
Floriana consolidated third position in the table while Valletta are in the danger zone having only 18 points from 20 games and they must win their two remaining games to avoid the big drop.
The Greens went striaght on the offensive and created three actions in succession. Jeremy Baldacchino served Luca Casha with a long throw-in on the left flank but City keeper Yenz Cini neutralised the ball from his cross. Then Luke Scorfna served Brooke Farrugia in the area, Cini partially saved his shot and the rebound shot by Scorfna was cleared by a defender and after a free kick shot by Marco Vella the ball was partially cleared and from the rebound shot by Zachary Mizzi, cini effected a spectacular diving save to a corner.
In Valletta's only attack in the first period on 26 minutes they nearly opened the score as Cryuff Grixti served Wagil Rizisalla in the area and the ball missed the upright from his shot with Greens keeper Jurgen Borg beaten and the last action before the break came from Floriana when Casha served Mizzi in the area but he skied the ball from a very ideal position with only Cini to beat.
There were more actions worthy of note in the second period as both teams tried to open the score. Brooke Farrugia was fouled on the right flank and from the free kick shot by Kurt Farrugia the ball was cleared by a defender and from a Brooke Farrugia flag kick Casha headed over the bar.
Rizisalla then served Grixti in the area but the Greens keeper foiled him with a perfect and timely sortie, Valletta threatened again in the 45th minute as Rizisalla served Olwen Saliba in the area and his shot missed the upright by inches.
Floriana kept insisting and Farrugia served Mizzi in the area but Cini foiled him from concluding with a timely sortie. Cini the turned the ball to a corner on a Mizzi cross after he was put through by Brooke Farrugia and did like-wise minutes later on a shot by Mizzi after a Bernard Pisani through ball.
A minute before normal time Floriana scored the all-important goal after a choral move wich involved three players - Pisani served Mizzi with a through pass outside City's area who after beating two defenders served Brooke Farrugia in the area who placed the ball behind Cini with a low shot.
Referee: Luke Portelli
Player of the match: Brooke Farrugia (Floriana)
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Congratulations to Attard, Pembroke Ath and Lija-Iklin who finished in the first three placings in the Under 16 Section C and so they are promoted to Section B for next season.
Attard and Pembroke won an equal number of points, 52, so a decider is needed to determine the Section winner. Date, time and venue are still to be annouced. Lija-Iklin obtained 42 points.