APS Bank U-17 Section A

Qormi  1

Pieta H   6

As the final score indicates, Pieta had a very easy task against Qormi who are in bottom placing having only one point from 18 games. Pieta are in third place on 37 points also from 18 games.

Pieta enjoyed the lion’s share of exchanges during both periods with Qormi trying very hard to operate on the break.

The early pressure came from Pieta. Terrance Agius released Rodney Refalo on the right flank who, after advancing, crossed the ball in the area and it was neutralised by Qormi keeper Neil Smart.

In Qormi’s first action in the 9th minute they came close to open the score. Dylan Pirotta was fouled on the right flank and from the free kick by Keith Zammit, Carl Mizzi failed to apply the killer touch from inside the area and the ball was saved by Pieta keeper Dylan Cacciatolo. From the same action, Attard was served from a long drop-kick and after a one-two with Tyrone Grech the latter entered the area but he drove slightly out.

Pieta opened the score in the 19th minute when after a run down the left flank by Matthew Bonello he served Grech with a cross who scored with a grounder from the edge of the area.

Kyle Cesare was then fouled on the right flank and from the free kick by Travis Bartolo the ball was headed away by a Qormi defender.

Qormi equalised in the 25th minute when Keith Zammit served Dylan Pirotta with a through ball outside the area and after advancing he scored with a low shot past the onrushing Cacciatolo who came out to narrow the angle.

Pieta regained the initiative and mounted two further actions. Terrance Agius served Attard on the left flank who, after advancing, crossed the ball to Refalo but he drove out from inside the area and Franklin Agius served Grech with a through ball on the right flank and Smart neutralised the ball following his cross.

After Gilmour Fenech was fouled on the right flank Cacciatolo was forced to tip the ball over the bar from a well-taken free kick by Zammit.

A minute before the break Pieta regained their slender lead when Refalo dribbled past an opponent on the right flank and crossed the ball in the area and Dylan Xuereb scored with a low shot from inside the area.

Cacciatolo saved to a corner a shot by Dylan Attard and Clint Barbara served Pirotta on the right flank and a defender cleared the ball to a corner after his cross.

Pieta scored a third goal in the 57th minute when Refalo served Matthew Bonello on the left flank who then crossed to Xuereb who scored from inside the area. Smart then foiled Cesare with a timely sortie after he was put through in the area by Terrance Agius. 

The score became 4-1 in the 67th minute as Bartolo served Xuereb with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to substitute Bedri Ryustemov in the area and scored from close-range and four minutes later the same player scored a fifth goal from inside the area after receiving a cross from the right by Xuereb.

Six minutes from the end Pieta scored their sixth goal when substitute Zachary Gatt dribbled past an opponent and, after entering the area, was tripped by a defender. Xuereb made no mistake from the resultant penalty.

Referee: Jude Utulu

Player of the match: Matthew Bonello (Pieta H)