St Andrew lead Section A standings
St Andrews lead the table on 24 points from 10 games while Pieta are in fifth position on 11 points from 11 games. St Andrew enjoyed the lion’s share of exchanges during the whole 80 minutes and deserved the verdict.
The early pressure came from St Andrews. Thomas Vella was fouled on the left edge of the area and from the free kick by Marcus Grima the ball was cleared to a corner and after Jamie Sixsmith’s flag kick, Dejan Debono drove slightly over the bar. After another Sixsmith flag kick, Pieta keeper Miguel Chetcuti was forced to fist the ball away to safety.
In the 24th minute, St Andrews opened the score with a choral move between three players. Adam Magri Overend dribbled past an opponent on the right flank who then crossed to Grima in the area and the latter squarepassed the ball to Matteo Sansone who scored with a tap-in.
Pieta came close to an equaliser in the 31st minute when Pisani was fouled on the left flank and after the same player’s free kick Bouvet headed slightly over the bar from inside the area.
In the last action before the break, St Andrews were denied by the woodwork when Vella dribbled past an opponent on the left flank and after crossing the ball to Alexander Satariano in the area the ball thumped the bar from his hard drive with Chetcuti beaten.
In the 62nd minute Pieta again came close an equaliser when the ball was headed off the line after a Mckay free kick after Bouvet was fouled outside the area.
In the 69th minute, Satariano should have doubled for St Andrews but he failed to apply the killer touch when well-placed in the area after a Grima flag kick. Chetcuti then saved a shot by Grima after a short corner pass by Sixsmith.
Two minutes before the end of normal time, St Andrews doubled their lead as Grima scored with a low shot from inside the area after a Sixsmith flag kick and in the first minute of added time Pieta reduced the gap when Matthew Farrugia dribbled past an opponent on the left flank and crossed the ball to Bouvet in the area who netted with a low drive.
St Andrews: D.Formosa, A.Gollcher, M.Sansone, J.Sixsmith, M.Grima, A.Satariano, A.Magro Overend, A.Thake, D.Debono, B.Gatt Florida, T.Vella
Pieta: M.Chetcuti, G.Borg, J.Gauci, K.Attard, C.Bouvet, J.Dimech, M.Farrugia, L.McKay, K.Mifsud, S.Okoh, S.Pisani Referee: Max Muscat Player of the Match: Thomas Vella (St Andrew)
A game between two teams occupying the last two places in the table was quite enjoyable but very few were the actions worthy of note.
Lija-Iklin are in penultimate position on 9 points from 11 games while Pembroke are in bottom placing on 7 points also from 11 games.
The game was only two minutes old when Lija-Iklin forged ahead when after a flag kick by Gianluca Tanti the ball was partly cleared and the same player scored with a hard drive from the rebound past Pembroke keeper Alexander Debono.
Pembroke then won a corner kick on the right flank and from the high cross by Juan Gauci the ball was cleared away to safety, while at the other end a flag kick by Tanti was cleared to another corner.
Lija-Iklin doubled their lead in the 18th minute when after a Tanti flag kick Pembroke player Dyon Grima handled the ball in the area and Cody Grech made no mistake from the spot with a hard low drive.
In an action by Pembroke Juan Gauci released Nicholas Falzon in the area and after Lija-Iklin keeper Bradley Sammut partly saved his shot, the ball was cleared away by a defender.
Soon after the restart, Lija-Iklin were denied by the wood work as Samuel Galea dribbled past three opponents on the right flank and after his cross outside the area the ball thumped the bar after a hard rising shot by Julian Mercieca with Debono beaten.
In an action by Pembroke Gianluca Ritrovato served Falzon with a through ball who after entering the area, Sammut partly saved his shot and the same player hit the side-netting from the rebound.
In the 48th minute, Pembroke reduced the gap as Larkin Attard entered the area after dribbling past an opponent and scored with a hard low drive.
Grech then dribbled past an opponent on the right flank and the ball was cleared to a corner following his cross, and in a Pembroke action a flag kick by Gauci was cleared to another corner.
Lija-Iklin then created the last two actions before the break. Grech was fouled on the left flank and Debono saved the free kick by the same player and also saved a Grech free kick after Shaun Borg was fouled outside the area.
Lija-Iklin: B.Sammut, C.Grech, L.Aquilina, M.Cutajar, J.Mercieca, T.Cilia, S.Galea, L.Briffa, D.Mifsud, S.Borg, G.Tanti
Pembroke: A.Debono, E.Lucchese, L.Attard, N.Falzon, G.Ritrovato, S.Mallia, J.Gauci, L.Falzon, A.Abudgil, M.Comes, D.Grima, Referee: James Muscat Player of the match: Cody Grech (Lija-Iklin)