Pieta H 2

St. Andrew’s 0

Quilin Refalo scored a brace to help Pieta beat St. Andrew’s in a low profile match. This Pieta kept their slim promotion hopes alive, taking full advantage of Rabat’s surprise defeat in yesterday’s first match.

Pieta are now trailing rabat by four points and Melita by five with two matches remaining and can still make a stunning comeback, even though all depends on melita’s and Rabat’s performances in the remaining matches.

Yesterday’s victory was a deserved one for Pieta as they dominated for long stretches in a arather low profile match.

Pieta were the better team in the first half with St Andrew’s rarely worrying goalkeeper Dimech who was playing instead of Miguel Montfort. On eleven minutes Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos failed to connect to a Jurgen Pisani cross from the left.

The Saints hit back with an Alkanua shot which was easily saved by the Pieta goalkeeper. On 27 minutes Pieta broke the deadlock when Larson Mallia passed towards the unmarked Quilin Refalo who fired home from the edge of the area.

Ten minutes later the Saints had their best opportunity when Hyzler crossed towards Ribeiro who failed to score with only Dimech to beat. Five minutes from the break Pieta went close when St Andrew’s goalkeeper Balzan made a great save off a Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos close range header.

Four minutes into the second half Pieta doubled the score when Pisani passed towards Zarate who crossed towards Quilin Refalo who easily slotted the ball home. Some minutes later Pieta missed a great opportunity with Jurgen Pisani missing an easy chance in front of goal.

The Saints went close with a Ribeiro shot on the turn that skimmed the crossbar in their only real chance of the second half.

Pieta H. C. Dimech, C. Spiteri, E. Ciaccaglia, Q. Refalo (Z. Muscat), T. Agius, Z. Muscat, V.P. Dos Santos, L. Mallia, C. Cassar, J. Bilbao Zarate, J. Pisani (A. Spiteri)(C. Cutajar), I. Grech

St. Andrews D. Balzan, R. Previ (G. Fenech), J. Bugeja, B. Said, B. Diacono, A. Camilleri Kamsky, W. Camilleri, M. Hyzler, G. Riberio, M. Grima (M. Desira Buttigieg), F. Alkanua (C. Mifsud Bonnici)

Referee Clayton Pisani