Vittoriosa S 5

Birzebbuga SP 1

Vittoriosa Stars easily defeated Birzebbuga in an entertaining match that they dominated from start to finish.

The Stars were shining yesterday in the scorching sun at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. Marcelo Pereira was again outstanding with a five star performance together with Leighton Grech who also scored a brace.

Vittoriosa had a promising start and forged ahead after only five minutes play when Grech surged inside the penalty area on the right side and crossed towards Marcelo Pereira who scored a beauty with an overhead kick with the ball finishing in the top corner of the net.

Vittoriosa continued to dictate matters and doubled the score on 22 minutes when Marcelo Pereira passed towards Leighton Grech who fired low in the corner of the net giving Casha no chance to save.

Three minutes from the break Birzebbuga were awarded a penalty when a Vittoriosa defender appeared to handle the ball following a Mead Mifsud cross from the right. From the penalty spot Paul Camilleri sent Vella the wrong way to reduce the gap.

But deep in stoppage time Vittoriosa re-established their two-goal lead when Marcelo Pereira passed towards Gary Muir whose grounder from the edge of the area finished at the back of the net.

Three minutes into the second half Vittoriosa scored a fourth goal when Leighton Grech passed to the unmarked Marceo Pereira who dribbled past Casha and from an acute angle squeezed the ball in the far corner of the net.

On 55 minutes Pereira could have scored another one but was denied by a desperate Ivan Casha save. Minutes later Vittoriosa went close again with a Mark Barbara effort that sailed over the bar.

Ten minutes from time Vittoriosa scored their fifth and final goal when Leighton Grech received the ball from Gary Muir and the latter fired in the top corner of the net for another well taken goal.

In stoppage time Marcelo Pereira had a golden opportunity to obtain his hat trick but he failed to beat Casha from a penalty awarded for a foul by goalkeeper Casha on Mark Barbara.

Vittoriosa S: J.M. Vella, M. Buttigieg, J. Camilleri, L. Vella Critien, R. Dos Santos, A. Spiteri (M. Barbara), K. Robinson, R. Brincat (L. Scerri), M. Pereira, G. Muir, L. Grech.

Birzebbuga SP: I. Casha, K. Spiteri, M. Pullicino, M. Gabriel (A. Dalli), D. Baldacchino, M. Mifsud, P. Camilleri (K. Muscat), G. Tanti, F. Schneider, K. Borg, R. Celeste (M. Sciortino).

Referee: Andrew James Sammut