Gudja Utd 2

Mtarfa 4

Gudja fielded only 10 players for this game and Mtarfa had a rather easy task to obtain the three points as they were the better outfit by creating more occasions of scoring.

Following this game both Gudja and Mtarfa are in penultimate position on six points from eight games.

Mtarfa applied the early pressure. Andrea Calleja released Chris Aquilina on the right flank who then crossed to Silvan Tonna in the area and the ball was cleared on the line from his shot.

Owen Gauci pounced on a loose ball outside the area but he missed the upright with his shot. Later from a flag kick by Aquilina, the ball was cleared off the line from a shot by Tonna.

Mtarfa opened the score in the seventh minute. Aquilina served Andrea Calleja in the area and Gudja keeper Randen Bartolo saved his shot to a corner. From Aquilina’s corner kick, the ball was partly cleared outside the area; Owen Gauci floated a high ball in the area and Denilson Briffa scored with a low shot.

In the first action by Gudja Marlon Caruana dribbled past an opponent and served Nicholas Camilleri in the area who drove out from an ideal position.

In the 17th minute Mtarfa were denied by the woodwork when a flag kick by Aquilina was partly cleared and the ball thumped against the crossbar from a hard drive by Calleja.

The score became 2-0 in the 21st minute when Calleja scored with a hard rising shot from a free kick.

Seven minutes later Mtarfa scored a third goal as Tonna dribbled past an opponent and scored with a hard grounder after entering the area.

Gudja reduced the gap just before the half time whistle when Michael Simic entered the area after beating a defender and shot past Mtarfa keeper Matthew Borg.

The first action after the restart was created by Gudja when Marlon Caruana was fouled outside the area and Nicholas Camilleri missed the upright from the free kick.

After Tonna was fouled just outside the area, Bartolo saved the free kick taken by Gauci in two attempts. In another action by Gudja, Thomas Grixti served Chris Zammit in the area and Borg denied him with a diving save.

Mtarfa scored a fourth goal in the 53rd minute when Andrea’ Galea dribbled past an opponent and from his cross, Tonna netted with a hard drive.

The Mtarfa youngsters resumed their pressing. Oden Sammut served Briffa in the area and Bartolo saved his close-range shot.

Bartolo was then called to save a shot by Jordie Farrugia.

Three minutes before the end Gudja scored their second goal as Caruana served Simic in the area and he scored with a hard rising shot.

Referee: Jonathan Bonello

Player of the match: Andrea Calleja (Mtarfa)