APS Bank Under 17 Section A

Pieta H    0

St Andrews     1

This keenly-contested game was watched by a sizeable crowd at Luxol Ground.

Referee Sandro Spiteri had a very difficult encounter to control which he did admirably.

Pieta enjoyed the lion’s share of exchanges in the first period while the second period was a balanced affair. St Andrews are now in fourth place on 16 points from nine games while Pieta are a placing better on 18 points also from nine games. 

St Andrews created the first action when Clyde Cumbo served Jacob Falzon in the area but the ball missed the upright from his shot.  

Pieta’s reacted and Zachary Gatt served Robert Vella with a square pass and St Andrew keeper Gianluca Felice saved his effort from outside the area.

Rodney Refalo served Gatt with a through ball on the left edge of the area and Felice denied him with a diving save to a corner, and later neutralised the ball from a cross by Matthew Bonello after he was put through on the left flank by Cesare.  

In the 29th minute, St Andrews were denied by the woodwork as Karl Mifsud Bonnici served Jake Palmier with a through ball outside the area and the ball thumped the bar from his hard drive with Pieta keeper Dylan Cacciatolo beaten. 

Two minutes before the break Pieta were awarded a penalty. Terence Agius released Cesare on the left flank and a Saints defender handled the ball in the area after his cross. Terence Agius took charge of the kick and Felice manged to dive to his left and saved his grounder to the joy of the numerous St Andrews supporters.

Seven minutes after the restart, Dylan Xuereb should have scored for Pieta but he failed to apply the killer touch from two metres with only Felice to beat.

In a Saints’ counter-attack, Daniel Saliba served Cumbo with a through ball but Travis Bartolo foiled him with a perfect timely tackle.

Pieta regained the initiative and created three further actions. Franklin Agius pounced on a loose ball in St Andrews half and Felice saved his hard rising shot. Cesare then served Xuereb on the left flank and the ball missed the far post by inches from his cross-shot.

In a rare Saints’ attack, Mifsud Bonnici released Palmier on the right flank and the ball missed the bar by inches from his rising shot.

In the second minute of added time St Andrews took the lead. Luke Mercieca dribbled past an opponent on the left flank, crossed the ball in the area to Julian Farrugia and a Pieta defender handled the ball. The referee pointed to the spot and Nick Bradshaw converted from the spot with a hard drive to Cacciatolo’s right.

A minute later Pieta player Matthew Bonello was shown the red card for retaliation after he was fouled by Mifsud Bonnici.

After the final whistle we witnessed a deplorable incident. A section of Pieta supporters hurled insults at the referee when he was still on the field of play. A supporter also tried to enter the pitch and as Ground Inspector Mario De Battista went to close the gate he was pushed on the ground.

Referee: Sandro Spiteri 

Player of the match: Gianluca Felice (St Andrews)        

APS Bank Under 15 Section B

San Gwann  0

Gozo    1

San Gwann lost their unbeaten run after attaining maximun points from nine games. They now occupy second place in the table on 27 points from 10 games while Gozo are in fourth position on 18 from same number of games.

The first period was yawn-laden as only a few actions worthy of note, most of them coming from San Gwann.

After a run down the right flank by Luke Zammit he crossed the ball in Gozo’s area but found no takers. Stefan Steganovic served Camilleri with a square pass and Gozo keeper Jonathan Vella saved his shot.

In Gozo’s first action in the 20th minute, Baskal Saliba served Christian Mercieca with a through ball in the area and San Gwann keeper Darren Sciberras turned the ball to a corner with a diving save.

In the last action before the break, Nicky Muscat pounced on a faulty clearance but he drove well over Gozo’s bar from outside the area.

San Gwann created the first action after the restart as Muscat served Andre’ Cachia on the edge of the area and Vella turned the ball to a corner with a diving save. 

In Gozo’s first attack in the 40th minute they opened the score when Simon Galea served Gennaro Hili, who was left totally unmarked on the edge of the area and he placed the ball in the top left hand corner past a helpless Sciberras.

In a San Gwann attack four minutes later, Zack Camilleri served Steganovic with a through ball just outside the area and Vella was forced to come out of his charge and kick the ball upfield.

At the other end, Hili was fouled on the right flank, the same player served Vella with a pass on the left flank who then crossed to Galea in the area and Sciberras tipped the ball over the bar following his close-range shot.

San Gwann went all out to try and save the day as they mounted the last three actions before the end.

But the score remained unchanged even if they went close twice, first through a Gianluca Sant shot which missed the target by inches and another effort by Camenzuli whose shot was clear from over the line with the goalie beaten.

Referee: Darrell Agius

Player of the match: Nicky Muscat (San Gwann)