St Patrick 1

Pieta H 0

Pieta’s promotion hopes were yesterday jolted when 16 year old Joe Reno Vella scored the winner for St Patrick three minutes from time. The Under 17 Malta international had just came in as a substitute to make his debut for St Patrick, when he received the ball from other substitute Dylan Micallef, to fire low past Montfort.

The Saints thus gathered three precious points as they now moved away from the last spot in the table, whilst Pieta slumped to their fourth defeat in their last five outings.

Both sides had their good moments, but the Saints had the better scoring chances with goalkeeper Montfort making some very good saves.

Pieta had a better start pushing their opponents inside their penalty area. However the Saints were menacing in their breaks with the Spasov and the returning Blendi Gockaj doing a lot of damage to the Pieta rearguard.

Gockaj had his first attempt on seven minutes with Montfort blocking the danger. On 16 minutes Pieta went close with a Larson Mallia cross shot that almost deceived the St. Patrick’s custodian.

On 18 minutes Spasov passed towards Clayton Camilleri whose feeble effort was easily blocked by Montfort. Two minutes later Pereira Dos Santos’ shot hit the side netting and on the other end Gockaj crossed towards Spasov who headed wide.

A melee ensued following a Dos Santos freekick and Larson Mallia blasted high from an angle. St Patrick had a very good patch in the dying minutes of the first half. Spasov was their danger man with his shot missing the base of the upright by a whisker and just before the break the same player was denied by a brilliant Montfort save.

In the second St Patrick went close with a Gockaj angled shot that missed the target, and on the other end a Refalo shot missed the target after some good work from Zach Muscat.

On 58 minutes Pereira Dos Santos hit the side netting, and minutes later his grounder went wide. On 72 minutes St Patrick went very close when a Dylan Micallef cross shot was cleared off the goal line by Pieta defender Andrew Spiteri.

Tree minutes from time St Patrick scored what proved to be the winner whenDylan Micallef passed to the other newcomer Joe Reno Vella whose grounder gave Montfort no chance to save.

In the remaining minutes Pieta pushed desperately forward, but the Saints should have doubled on 94 minutes but Spasov’s shot slightly missed the base of the upright.

St. Patrick J. Grech, M. Xerri, C. Camilleri (D. Micallef), M. Onurah, D. Fava, B. Gockaj (J.R. Vella), A. Galea, S. Zerafa (A. Ellul), S. Spasov, E. Grech, J. Farrugia.

Pieta H M. Montfort, E. Giaccaglia (I. Grech), B. Sciberras (C. Spiteri), Q. Refalo (A. Farrugia), T. Agius, Z. Muscat, V. Pereira Dos Santos, L. Mallia, C. Cassar, J. Zarate, A. Spiteri.

Referee Glenn Tonna