Easy wins for Pieta and Valletta sees them in today’s final

Pieta H 6

Birzebbuga WM 0

Pieta had an easy passage to the final after disposing off the feeble challange of Birzebbuga.

The early pressure came from Pieta as they mounted three actions in a row. Franklin Agius seved Kyle Cesare on the right flank who was fouled and from the free kick by Cain Attard the ball was headed away. Rodney Refalo was the fouled outside the area Terrance Agius drove over the bar from the free kick and Agius enter the area after dribbling past an opponent and Birzebbuga keeper Isaac Rapa partly saved his shot abd the ball was cleared to safety.

Pieta opened the acore in the 18th minute when Matthew Bonello served Bedri Ryustemov with a cross from the left flank and he scored with a low shot from inside the area.

The second goal was scored in the 26th minute after a choral move between three players. Attard released Agius on the right flank who served Tyrone Grech with a cross in the area and netted with a header.

In the only action by Birzebbuga in the first half Clayton Frendo was fouled on the right flank and Pieta keeper Dylan Cacciatolo saved from the free kick by aaron dalli.

Eight minutes after the restart the score became 3-0 with another choral move between three players. Agus released Zachary Gatt on the left flank who then served Cesare with a cross in the area and scored with a header.

The fourth goal was scored in the 53rd minute through Gatt who scored from inside the area after dribbling past three opponents.

Two further goals were scored in the 71st and 79th minutes. Attard served Gatt with a short corner kick on the left flankwho then crossed to Grech in the area who scroed wit a close-range shot and Gatt, after dribbling past four opponents served Grech with a through ball and scored with a hard rising shot from 40 metres.

Referee: Andrew Sammut

Pembroke Ath 0

Valletta 2

Valletta qualified to play the final against Pieta today. The game will be played at the Luxol Grounds and kicks off at 5.30pm.

After only two minutes Valletta were already in the driving seat after a choral move between three players. Siraj Arab served Llewlyn Cremona on the right flank who then served Isaac Zammit in the area who headed past Pembroke keeper Matthew Calleja Cremona.

In another action by Valletta, Mohammed Zarrouq was fouled outside the area and the ball was headed away afer the free kick by Samir Arab.

In the first action by Pembroke Franklin Schembri won a loose ball in Valletta's half and after advancing drove well off target.

Valletta kept pressing, Zammit served Siraj Arab on the right flank who after advancing missed the bar with his cross-shot and after the same palyer was fouled on the right flank the ball was partly cleared from the free kick by his twin brother Samir and Zarrouq drove over the bar from the rebound.

In a rare Pembroke attack Matthew Camilleri served Lee Grech in the area but City keeper Yenz Cini foiled him with a timely sortie.

Valletta thewn mounted two further actions. Glenn Cassar served Zammit with a through ball in the area and Calleja Cremona foiled with a timely sortie in two attempts and after Zarrouq was fouled on the left flank Samir Arab drove slightly over the bar, and in the last action by Pembroke before the break, Lee Grech entered the area after beating a defender and Cini turned the ball to a corner from his shot.

Valletta mounted the first action after the resumption when Matthew Thorne served Samir Arab on the left flank and Calleja turned the ball to a corner from his cross-shot and at the other end, Lee Grech was fouled outside the area and Schembri drove slightly over the bar from the free kick.

A well-taken flag kick by Thorne created havoc in Pembroke's area and Calleja Cremona managed to neutrlaise the ball in two attempts.

Schembri was then fouled outside the area and after the free kick by the same player who floated a high ball in the area Cini was forced to fist the ball away.

Five minutes before the end of normal time Valletta scored a second goal when Zammit pounced on a loose ball just outside the area, dribbled past three opponents and sold the dummy to Calleja Cremona and scroed with a low shot.

A minute before the end Pembroke werereduced to ten men when Kristian sultana was shown the red card after a second booking.

Referee: Stefan Pace