PIETA HOTSPURS- 0
RABAT AJAX- 1
Pieta H: M. Montfort, C. Spiteri, H. Madsen, C. Grech, R. Kooh, C. Frendo, L. Mallia, C. Cassar, J. Zarate, I. Grech, J. Pisani
Rabat A: S. Mintoff, I. Carapic, J. Caruana, J. Felice, M. Fuster, P. Borg, C. Brincat (G. Gesualdi), Y. Cauchi, D. Azzopardi, C. Gauci
Referee: A.M. Sant
A late penalty, two minutes into added time, helped Premier side Rabat Ajax to survive at least another round in the U*BET FA Trophy after their defence had to go through some anxious moments against First Division opponents Pieta Hotspurs.
Pieta were themselves culpable of some profligacy especially in the second half and were finally made to pay, conceding a late penalty through some ingenuity from defender Ismael Grech, who handled the ball inside the are as Felice was about to connect.
Both teams were bereft of ideas or any hint of penetration as they kicked the ball from one end to the other with little purpose for more than half an hour. Both missed a regular striker in their starting line-up, with Lithuanian Astrauskas absent from Rabat’s attack and Pieta without Quilin Refalo.
Pieta, with the wind behind their backs in the first half, relied heavily on the runs of their strong Cameroon forward Raphael Kooh, who had an effort from a distance going over, a miscued cross shot from the left and a shot blocked by Rabat keeper Mintoff from the byeline on the right.
Rabat’s response came from Felice, left to plough a lone furrow in attack, past the half hour, with his shot on the turn from the edge of the Pieta area, going over.
Pieta threatened on a couple of occasions before the break. Mallia’s cross from the right fell to the unmarked Zarate, who contrived to miss, shooting wide in front of a gaping goal.
Frendo forced the Rabat keeper into a difficult save with a powerful shot soon after.
Rabat’s best patch came soon after the restart with Carapic’s overhead kick on a Caruana sailing cross saved by keeper Montfort.
But Pieta remained faster on the ball, although they were wasteful in front of the Rabat goal. Kooh’s shot was blocked inside the area and then Pisani arrived late on Kooh’s cross from the right on 68 minutes.
On 74 minutes Kooh chased a long ball inside the Rabat area, but challenged by Brincat, he placed his final shot off target.
Rabat also squandered a good chance three minutes later. On Cauchi’s cross from the right, Felice, standing on the edge of the eight-yard box, shot straight on keeper Montfort.
Pieta continued to fluff good opportunities. Keeper Montfort had to rush off his line to block twice on Kooh and Mallia before Kooh’s cross cut the Rabat defence, fell to Pisani who, unmolested, was blocked by substitute Gesualdi.
Pieta were finally made to pay for those misses. With extra time looming, Pieta’s defender Ismael Grech handled the ball inside the area to be sent off for a second booking and concede the penalty. Clifford Gauci tucked it away as Rabat squeezed through to the next round.
HAMRUN SPARTANS- 1
VALLETTA- 3
Hamrun S: A. Cassar, A. Ivanov, L. Vitanov, R. Fenech, A. Vergilov, D. Zerafa, M. Grima, A. Borg (D. Camilleri), G. Calabretta, R. Spiteri (N. Bozhov), T. Vella (G. Azzopardi)
Valletta: Y. Cini, D. Falzon, I. Azzopardi, W. Barbosa, E. Agius (K. Magro), R. Fenech (S. Bajada), D. Dos Santos, J. Gabriel (L. Almeida), R. Briffa, I. Zammit, R. Barreto
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Valletta were breathing a new lease of life after beating Hamrun Spartans in the third round of the U*BET FA Trophy to make some amends for the disappointment of late in the Premier League. Their Brazilian, William Barbosa scored a brace in the second half, after Hamrun had cancelled Ian Zammit’s opener with a well taken goal by Gianluca Calabretta in the first period.
Many of the Valletta fans, yesterday stayed away in protest. Although Valletta’s victory was nothing to shout about, the champions carried too much ammunition for sorry Hamrun, themselves lying in deep crisis.
Valletta completely dominated the second half, turning the match into a shooting practice, with young keeper Andrea Cassar winning his spurs with another fine display for Hamrun.
These two Premier teams had been showing signs of inconsistency of late and that was reflected in the poor quality football produced yesterday.
Valletta, who played Yenz Cini in goal and Ian Zammit in attack, forged ahead after the quarter hour. On a Falzon cross from the left, Ian Zammit rose unhindered to head past keeper Cassar, who slipped as he tried to reach for the ball.
But when Valletta failed to hold a grip on the match and add to their lead, Hamrun capitalised on their opponents’ defensive lapse to draw level towards the half hour. Gianluca Calabretta ran through the middle as he chased a long pass by Spiteri, went past Azzopardi and lobbed the ball over the onrushing keeper Cini.
Valletta failed to produce a reaction and only went close three minutes before halftime with a Denni menacing free kick from the middle, forcing the Hamrun keeper to turn superbly into a corner.
But the second half belonged to Valletta who laid siege on the Hamrun defence as early as the firts two minutes when Ryan Fenech thumped his shot, from outside the area, against the bar.
Valletta threw several crosses inside the Spartan’s area. Falzon’s, on 58 minutes, was booted out by defender Roderick Fenech. Gabriel shot narrowly wide before Denni delivered a cross from the left towards the middle of the area but Agius skied the ball.
On 65 minutes, Barbosa’s drilling shot demanded a smart save dfrom keeper Cassar as Valletta were firing on all cylinders by then.
Ryan Fenech was forced to leave the pitch with a groin injury on 68 minutes but two minutes later, Valletta breached the Spartans’ defence for the second time.
William Barbosa played a deft one-two with Zammit before unleashing a fierce low drive past the helpless Hamrun keeper.
Cassar was again rendered helpless six minutes from time with Barbosa’s dipping free kick at the far post to secure Valletta a safe passage.