Pieta Hotspur easily qualified to the first round of the U*BET FA Trophy when they trashed Msida SJ 6-0.

Pieta made sure of the qualification in the first minutes when they scored three quick goals against a very modest Msida side who suffered the seventh consecutive defeat so far this season. It was a one way traffic affair with Zack Muscat, Dominic Mifsud and Sheldon Grech in great form.

Pieta started this match as hot favourites, but some stiffer opposition was expected from the Msida youngsters.

But after the first quarter of an hour the match was dead and buried as Pieta had already built a three-goal lead.

After only three minutes Sheldon Grech passed towards Robson Luiz Bandeira who kept his cool to beat Jeremy Alden. Pieta continued to exert pressure on the shaky Msida defence and on 13 minutes they doubled the score.

A long ball from defence was completely misjudged by Msida goalkeeper Alden and Bandeira’s task was rather easy as he only had to tap in the ball in an empty net. Two minutes later the Blues cored a third one when Grech passed towards Bandeira whose cross found Zack Muscat completely unmarked, and the youngster made no mistake shooting low into the net.

Pieta jostled with their opponents as Msida had two feeble attempts easily saved by Vella.

On 39 minutes Dominic Mifsud’s breath taking effort from the edge of the are went inches wide. A minute later Sheldon Grech scored the fourth goal direct from a free kick.

The goals kept coming and on 56 minutes Zack Muscat headed home a precise free kick by Sheldon Grech. Msida were unlucky not to score a consolation goal when a Ryan Xuereb shot hit the post and Sackhai’s shot from the rebound was cleared off the goal line.

Eleven minutes from time Pieta scored their sixth goal, with Bandeira obtaining a hat trick heading home a Sheldon Grech corner.

Unlucky Msida hit another post through Rodney Caruana.

Pieta H: K. Vella, C. Spiteri (A. Briffa), R. Mifsud, B. Sciberras, G. Busuttil, R.L. Bandeira, S. Grech, Z. Muscat (T. Agius), J. Pisani, D. Mifsud (J. Azzopardi), D. Camilleri.

Msida SJ: J. Alden, K. Grech, N. Curmi (A. Formosa), L. Cassar, R. Caruana (A. Farrugia), R. Xuereb, L. Micallef, K. Saliba (A. Grech), K. Caruana, P. Sakchai, M. Borda.

Referee: E. Azzopardi

Attendance: 72