Sliema W 5

Gozo 0

Section A third-placed Sliema W had an easy passage to the semi-final after beating Section B winners Gozo by four clear goals.

The Blues went straight on the offensive as they created the first three chances of the game.

In Gozo’s first reaction in the eighth minute Stefan Cassar crossed the ball in the area after a run down the left flank and Blues defender Milosavjevic nearly committed an own goal as he deflected the ball goalwards but Sliema keeper Attard was alert and was forced to dive and save the ball.

Sliema forged ahead a minute later when Friggieri served Scicluna with a through ball in the area and he scored with a rising shot after beating a defender.

In another action by Sliema, Mercieca served Scicluna in the area and Xuereb had to come out of his charge and kick the ball away to safety. At the other end, Farrugia was fouled on the left flank and after the ball was partly cleared from Matthew Galea’s free kick Attard saved the rebound shot by Andrew Attard.

Sliema doubled their lead on the half hour when Mercieca dribbled past an opponent and he scored a beauty with a fine rising shot from 40 metres, and the last action before the break was also created by Sliema as the same player served Friggieri in the area and the ball missed the upright from his shot.

The first action after the restart came from Gozo when Hili served Joshua Buttigieg with a cross from the left but he headed out from inside the area.

In the 47th minute Gozo were denied by the woodwork when Cassar was fouled well outside the area and from the free kick by Hili the ball hit the under-part of the bar with Attard completely beaten.

The score became 3-0 in the 54th minute when Mercieca dribbled past an opponent on the right flank, square-passed the ball to Scicluna who entered the area after beating a defender and scored with a low shot.

Two minutes later Sliema scored their fourth. Friggieri received the ball from a long clearance just outside the area, he dribbled past a defender and after entering the area was tripped and he made no mistake from the resultant penalty.

In another action by Gozo substitute Cuimi Sinteyeku out-sped a defender on the right flank and after serving Buttigieg with a cross in the area Attard saved his close-range effort.

Six miutes before the end Sliema scored their fifth lgoal when Omar Xuereb released Scicluna on the left flank who in turn served Jalledi in the area who had the easiest of tasks to place the ball in the net from two metres.

Referee: Roderick Sciberras

Floriana 1

Mosta 1

(5-4 on penalties)

This was a hrad fought game between Section A Runners-up Floriana and Section B Runners-Up Mosta. The game was characterised by strict marking which eventually created many fouls by both sides and the rearguards of both teams dominated the game and both sets of forwards found it vey difficult to penetrate.

Floriana made the better start. Mauro Sultana dribbled past a defender on the left flank and from his cross Mosta keeper Luke Chircop saved a header by Dillon Darmanin.

Chircop was called again in action in two consecutive actions, first he saved a free kick shot by Dayle Borg after Juan Corbolan was fouled outside the area and then he had to palm the ball away from a Cipriott free kick after Corbolan was again fouled on the left edge of the area.

In the 16th minute Floriana forged ahead as Martin Caruana was fouled on the right flank and after Cipriott floted a high ball in the area from the free kick Conor Borg scored with a header.

In another action by Floriana Conor Borg served Caruana in the area but he drove over the bar.

In a reaction by Mosta they mounted two actions in a row. Sheldon Vassallo was fouled outside the area and from the free kick by Aaron Sammut Floriana keeper Gauci was forced to dive and save the ball and he did likewise moments later after an insiduos corner kick by the same player.

After Caruana was fouled on the right flank Chircop saved the free kick shot by Cipriott, and in the last action before the break Karl Micallef served Sammut in the area and Gauci foiled him from further progression as he dived at his feet and smothered the ball.

After the restart, Sultana served Conor Borg with a cross in the area but he failed to make contact with the ball from a very ideal position for Floriana.

Mosta created more chances. Matteo Di Vita floated a perfect high ball in the area from a free kick and a Greens defender managed to get his head to the ball and cleared away to safety and Daniel Mifsud was fouled outside the area and Gauci had to palm the ball away from Micallef’s free kick.

Mosta equalised in the 46th minute after a choral move between four players. Mifsud was fouled outside the area, Micallef served Da Vita with a short pass who in turn served substitute Jean P Formosa on the left flank who netted with a hard low shot.

Mosta kept trying and Sammut served Mifsud with a through ball who returned the compliment to Formosa but Jake Davies foiled him with a timely clearance.

Floriana also made late efforts but as the game ended all square it had to be decided by the taking of penalties as extra time is only played in the semi finals and Final

Corbolan,Conor Borg, Darmanin and Caruana scored for Floriana while Vassallo, Formosa and Sammut scored for Mosta. Floriana keeper Tyrone Gauci saved on Muscat and Camilleri drove well over the bar.

Referee: Etienne Mangion

In the other quarter-finals St Andrew beat B’Bugia 4-0 and Zejtun beat Zurrieq 2-1

The semi-finals will be played on Sunday 10 June 2012