Zejtun and Swieqi qualify for first round with wins over Gzira and Xghajra

Zejtun Gzira 2 0

Żejtun fully deserved the verdict as they were the side that showed much more better ideas than Gżira. They will now creoss swords against Naxxar in the first round of the Competition. This game was also watched by a large crowd at Żebbuġ Ground.

Żejtun applied the early pressure. After a well-taken flag kick by Rooney Gatt Gżira keeper Owen Xerri was forced to fist the ball away to safety and he did likewise minutes later after a dangerous cross from the left flank by Iker Pace.

Gżira then mounted two actions. Vasillije Djordjevic was fouled outside the area and from the same player’s free kick the ball was headed away and Juanito Degiorgio Borisov served Nasthan Taliana with a through ball just outside the area but his shot was blocked by a defender.

Żejtun forged ahead in the 13th minute when Gatt won a tussle for the ball on the right flank near the edge of the area and scored with a diagonal hard drive past a helpless Xerri. Gżira came close to equalise six minutes later when Żejtun keeper Injade Desira saved in two attempts a close-range shot by Dion Mallia after being put through by Mohammed Kasem.

In the 25th minute Żejtun nearly doubled their lead as Xerri partly saved a shot by Hayton Mercieca, and a defender cleared the ball to safety, after a Gatt perfect through ball and in the last action before the break which was created by Gżira Degiorgo Borisov served Mallia with a cross from the right and Desira saved his rising shot from the edge of the area.

Żejtun mounted the first two actions after the restart. Xerri saved a free kick shot by Leevi Bondin after Stephen downes was fouled outside the area and Javiier Fenech was then fouled on the right flank and gatt missed the far post by inches from the free kick.

In Żejtun’s next attack in the 42nd minute they doubled their lead as Fenech served Gatt with a long through ball on the right flank who after entering the area scored with a hard low drive inoff the far base of the far upright obtaining a personal brace and his side’s second goal. The pressure from Żejtun resumed as they created two more actions. Gatt released Downes in the area and Xerri saved his shot to a corner and after a Gatt cross-shot from the right Xerri fisted the ball away to safety.

Gżira came close to reduce the gap on the hour when Taliana was fouled outside the area and from the same player’s free kick the ball thumped the bar with Desira beaten and was cleared away, and in the last action before the end created by Żejtun Mohammede Abdisalan had a run down the right flank and after entering the area Xerri partly saved his shot and the ball was cleared away.

I.Desira, M.Abdisalan, L.Bondin, J.Desira, J.Fenech, R.Gatt, I,Pace, T.Spiteri, O.Suleiman, A.Vella,H.Mercieca.

O.Xerri, M.Kasem, K.Colombo, C.Mori, I.Grech, B.Park, D.Grech, J.Deggiogo Borisov, D.Mallia, V.Djordjevic, N.Taliana,

Luke Xuereb Swieqi through after penalty shoot-out

Swieqi 1 Xghajra 1 (Swieqi won 6-5 on pen)

A very keen and hard-fought game watched by a large crowd at Żebbuġ Ground. Swieqi will now cross swords against Lija-Iklin in the first round of the competition.

Xgħajra mounted the first actions. Juan Calleja served Gianluca Pulis in the area and Swieqi keeper Benji Galea Souchet foiled him with a timely sortie. A well-taken free kick by Sven Zammit created havoc in Swieqi’s area but somehow the ball was cleared away to safety and after Wayne Spagnol was fouled on the left flank the ball was headed away from the free kick by Malcolm Scicluna.

In the first action by Swieqi they nearly forged ahead when Beppe Pullicino was fouled on the right edge of the area and after the free kick by Julian Mifsud the ball was cleared on the line from a header by Pullicino, and in the next action by Xgħajra in the 21st minute they opened the score when Zylen Bonello Petroni served Godwin Debono with a short pass from a free kick and he scored with a hard grounder from outside the area.

The last two actions before the break were created by Xgħajra. Debono was fouled on the right edge of the area and following the free kick by Calleja the ball was headed away and Debono dribbled past an opponent on the right flank and after his dangerous cross-shot the ball was headed away.

Xgħajra mounted the first action after the restart as Debono’s crossshot from the right was cleared away with difficulty while at the otherend Xgħajra keeper Resmick Schembri was forced to dive and save a free kick shot by Julian Mifsud.

Parity was restored in the 51st minute as Mifsud served Kyle Cassar Cardona with a long throw-in in the area from the right flank and after he was tripped from behind Andrea’ Lorefice made no mistake from the spot.

Encouraged by this goal Swieqi kept pressing and mounted two actions in a row. After a run down the right flank by Lorefice Schembr had to dive and save to a corner his hard drive from closerange and a one-two between Cassar Cardona and Shaun Aquilina finished with the latter driving slightly over the bar.The last action before the end was mounted by Xhħajraas Zammit was fouled outside the areaand Schembri saved to a corner the free kick shot by Pullicino. As the game ended all square penaltties had to be taken to decide thw winner. Twelve kicks were taken as after five kicks each the result stood at 4-4.

Xgħajra took the first kick and Galea Souchet saved on Scicluna. Kieran Cioffi, Spagnol, Buhagiar and Debono scored. For Swieqi Micallef and Mifsud scored, Schembri saved on Pullicino, Cassar Cardona and Camilleri scored. Debono drove over the bar for Xgħajra and Aquilina scored the decisive goal for Swieqi.

B.Galea Souchet, J.Camilleri, J.Mifsud, K.Muscat, K.Cassar Cardona, A.Arcidiacono, S.Aquilina, S.Micallef, A.Lorefice,B,Pullicino, J.Azzopardi

R.Schembri, Z.Bonello Petroni, D.Mamo Farrugia, G.Debono, M.Scicluna, K.cioffi, J.Calleja, S.Zammit, C.Buhagiar, W.spagnol, D.Gerada.

Rico Aquilina