Substitute Dalli hands Zejtun important win over leaders Qormi

Football - BOV First Division

Zejtun C Qormi 1 0

A goal by substitute Ryan Dalli decided this top of the table clash, with Zejtun moving second over Pieta, who have a game in hand, and with leaders Qormi obliged to pstpone their promotion celebrations.

Zejtun fully deserved their victory as they were the better team in the second half, after a balanced first fourty five minutes.

The match played in front of a very good crowd never reached high standards, but was still entertaining to watch.

Qormi were the better team in the opening phase and on eight minutes a Vukovic header was partially saved by Zarb and from the rebound Gusman’s effort was blocked by Camilleri. On fifteen minutes a caetano Da Silva shot sailed over the bar.

Zejtun’s first attempt came after a good solo move by Adam Smeir with his shot missing the base of the upright by a whisker. On the other end a Yannick Yankam drive was well saved by Zarb.

On 33 minutes Zejtun were rather unlucky when an El Hussieny drive from the edge of the area finished against the base of the upright. Some minutes later the same El Hussieny tried his luck from a distance with the ball just over the bar.

At the start of the second half Zejtun had two scoring opportunities with shots from Adam Smeir sailing over the bar. The match was rather scrappy after these two attempts and only came to life on 74 minutes when Jamie Azzopardi made a brilliant save off an El Hussieny freekick.

Nine minutes from time Zejtun forged ahead thanks to a great strike from substitute Ryan Dalli with the ball finishing in the top corner of the net. Four minutes later Zejtun almost doubled the score with a well orchestrated move finished by Carabott with his shot just over the bar.

Żejtun C: D. Zarb, A. Carabott, N. Tabone, C. Giordemaina, J. A. Castano (A. Scozzese 83 min), D. Albanese, G. Sultana (R. Dalli 73 min), B. Farrugia, A. Smeir, O. Elhussieny (J. Sato 80 min), Y. Camilleri.

Qormi: J. Azzopardi, B. Grech (C. Vella 53 min), L. Adamec, Y. Yankam, L. Busuttil (S. Zammit 86 min), J. Caetano da Silva, A. Abela, A. Cassar, D. Vukovic, T. Gusman (J. Salaroli 61 min), M. Camilleri.

Referee: Fyodor Zammit