Melita thrashed Msida St.Joseph to register their first win of the season after losing in their first match of the competition against Lija. They scored three goals in the first half but it could easily have been six or seven. Although they put a foot off the pedal in the second half Melita were good enough to score another two goals. This was the Saints second hammering of the competition after last week they had lost 4-0 to Mosta.
From the outset Melita pushed men forward and played some wonderful one-touch football. On 11 minutes a good one-two between Nigel Rizzo and Julian Galea finished with the former’s low effort being saved by Jeremy Alden. Two minutes later a Kane Micallef free-kick hit the crossbar.
Melita missed a sitter in the 17th minute Luke Micallef drove wide from 10 metres with only the goalkeeper to beat. This after Matthew Borg crossed into the area and a wonderful Michael Martin heeler found Micallef unmarked with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Despite all Melita’s domination of the proceedings Msida nearly took a surprise lead in the 26th minute when a Karl Saliba intended long cross hit the crossbar with Karl Zahra beaten.
A minute later Melita forged ahead when Julian Galea beat the offside trap following a Luke Micallef pass, and lobbed the ball over the onrushing Jeremy Alden in the Saint goal.
On the 29th minute Melita were unlucky not to have made it 2-0 when Luke Micallef sprinted on to the right flank and he entered the area drove the ball on to a post the Msida custodian beaten.
But Melita did make it 2-0 on 33 minutes when Kane Micallef beat the offside trap following a Andrew Caruana Scicluna through pass, and Melita midfielder found no difficulty in beating Alden with a low drive at the far post.
Martin Gregory’s side continued to bombard the Saints defence and on 35 minutes Kane Micallef lobbed over the top from a good position and a minute later from a good move he again drove the ball wide after some neat football by Caruana Scicluna and Julian Galea.
Melita put the game to bed on two minutes before the break when Luke Micallef again unmarked beat Alden, this time following a good pass by Martin.
Julian Galea added a fourth on the hour when he ran through a Luke Micallef pass to squeeze the ball past Alden. A minute later the inactive Melita goalkeeper Karl Zahra made a magnificent save off Adrian Farrugia’s half volley as the player burst into the box after a Karl Saliba good move.
Msida, who spent most of the match in their own half, suffered another blow when 11 minutes from time when Andrew Formosa was given sent-off for an early shower after receiving a second yellow card. Melita made it 5-0 in the 90th minute when man of the match Kane Micallef dribbled past two defenders on the by-line crossed for Luke Micallef who slotted home from close range.