Birkirkara knock out Spartans
Goalkeeper Amara Sylla came off the bench in the final seconds of extra-time to propel Birkirkara into the semi-finals of the FA Trophy when he saved two penalties in the shoot-out and propel his team into the semi-finals of the FA Trophy at the expense of Ħamrun Spartans.
Floriana and Gżira United also eased into the last four after they eased past Marsaxlokk and Mġarr United respectively while Sliema Wanderers needed a penalty shoot-out to knock out Mosta.
Birkirkara’s victory was a dramatic outcome to a match which saw both teams giving everything they have with the Stripes coming from behind to take a 2-1 lead before the Spartans forced extratime with a late equaliser.
And then it was Sylla who took centre stage when he saved the penalties taken by Jonny and Ognjen Bjelicic to lead the FA Trophy holders into the semi-finals.
Ħamrun made a fast start to the match and on 12 minutes, Jonny sped clear and his low cross was dummied by Uros Duranovic into the path of the Roko Prsa who fired wide.
Birkirkara threatened four minutes later when Emerson Marcelina’s back header was intercepted by Alex Satariano who put Andrea Zammit in space but the Malta U-21 international was blocked by Steve Borg.
Gradually, Birkirkara grew into the match and on 29 minutes, Alessandro Coppola connected with Zammit’s delivery from a corner and his header was tipped over by Marchetti.
However it was Ħamrun who took the lead on 43 minutes when Jonny won a free-kick on the edge of the area and Duranovic fired a firm drive that gave no chance to Zapytowski.
The Spartans almost doubled their lead in stoppage time but Juan Corbalan headed wide from close in.
Instead it was Birkirkara who equalised soon after when Satariano unleashed a powerful drive that flew past Marchetti.
On 50 minutes, Duranovic latched to Corbalan’s cross and his header was saved by Zapytowski.
It was all Ħamrun now and on 55 minutes Jonny moved past Zibo but fired wide.
Ħamrun thought they had taken the lead on 63 minutes when Eder dispossessed Coppola and fired home but the referee harshly annulled the goal for a foul on the Birkirkara defender.
Satariano 45; Borg 65og Duranovic 43, 75 pen.
(aet: Birkirkara win 4-3 on penalties)
BIRKIRKARA
M. Zapytowski (120 A. Sylla), E. Pepe, P. Mbong (98 M. Maia), A. Zammit (79 A. Ciolacu), K. Zammit, A. Satariano (110 E. Sarpong), E. Pena Beltre, N. Micallef, A. Coppola, S. Zibo, A. Diakite. ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
F. Marchetti, S. Borg (108 C. Rutjens), L. Montebello (75 R. Camenzuli), J. Mbong, R. Prsa (105 S. Paintsil), Elionay (46 Eder), U. Duranovic, O. Bjelicic, J. Corbalan, E. Marcelina, Jonny.
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Yellow cards: Pepe, Bjelicic, P. Mbong, Eder, Zapytowski, Bjelicic.
Red cards Duranovic (Ħ) 97, Diakite (B) 97.
Penalty sequence: Maia (B) scores (10); Marcelina (Ħ) scores 1-1; Zibo (B) saved 1-1; Jonny (Ħ) saved 1-1; Ciolacu (B) scores 2-1; Rutjens (Ħ) scores 2-2; Micallef (B) scores 3-2; Mbong (Ħ) scores 3-3; Coppola (B) scores 4-3; Bjelicic (Ħ) misses 4-3.
Instead it was Birkirkara who scored on 65 minutes when Satariano played in Paul Mbong who seemed to lose his footing with Steve Borg, in attempt to clear the ball, directed the ball into his own net.
Ħamrun hit back and were handed a lifeline on 74 minutes when Birkrikara’s Neil Micallef was harshly adjudged to have pushed Prsa inside the area with the referee pointing to the spot. Duranovic stepped up and drilled the ball past Zapytowski.
Jonny could have won it in stoppage time when he was put through by Camenzuli but was denied by Zapytowski as the match headed to extra-time.
The Spartans started strongly with Zapytowski denying Jonny and from the resultant flag-kick, Prsa’s delivery hit the upright.
Both teams finished with ten men when Duranovic and Diakite were sent off as the Montenegrin striker was sanctioned for a high tackle while the Stripes midfielder was punished for retaliaton.
On 112 minutes, Eder sped inside the area and his low cross was met by Jonny whose shot was deflected past the upright.
Just before the end of extratime Jose Borg decided to replace
Zapytowski with Amara Sylla and the Birkirkara substitute went on to take centre stage to hand his team a 4-3 shoot-out win.
Mġarr United’s fairytale ended at the quarter-final stage as Gżira United put aside their own problems to eliminate the third-tier side 2-0.
It took a labouring Gżira until the 81st minute to lead through substitute Lucas Macula but the Maroons made their superiority count with a second goal courtesy of Thaylor in injury time.
Sliema Wanderers remained on course for a 22nd FA Trophy success after eliminating Mosta in a thrilling quarter-final tie.
The Blues beat Mosta in a penalty shoot-out after a close-affair match which produced four goals, including two in extra-time.
Mosta broke the deadlock early in the game when captain Zach Brincat latched onto a through ball, dribbled past Al Tumi and slotted into an empty net.
Sliema Wanderers had to wait until the 77th minute to level terms when Lydon Micallef capitalised on a corner-kick situation.
Mosta thought they had won it when they found the net from a free-kick just to see their goal disallowed for an offside position.
On the other hand, Paul Zammit’s Blues had a golden opportunity
Luis Furtado 49, 87
MARSAXLOKK
M. Drobnjak; Weder (78 D. Bonnici), K. Micallef (78 J. Walker), J. Ghio (63 A. Obongwu), Yuri, L. Aguirre, N. Raden, R. Scicluna, S. Akinbule, J. Junior. FLORIANA
G. Kitanov; O. El Hasni, J. Grech (90 L. De Grazia), J. Arias (77 K. Reid), M. Sousa (77 D. Vella), O. Spiteri, M. Garcia, M. Valadzko (82 C. Zammit Lonardelli), A. Kouro, A. Garzia, L. Furtado (90 K. Nwoko).
Referee: Philip Farrugia.
Yellow cards: Drobnjak, Micallef, Gomes, Arias, Garcia, Furtado.
to snatch qualification but Joseph Minala saw his stoppagetime penalty stopped by Mosta’s David Akpan as the game headed into extra-time.
In extra-time, the two teams scored in the closing stages of the match with Micallef netting his second before Mosta equalised through Henry Nwoga.
The winner had to be determined via a penalty shoot-out with the Wanderers coming out on top as Mosta’s Nathan Agius
Macula 81, Thaylor 90
GŻIRA UNITED
D.Zarkov, C. Filho, G. Bohrer, Thaylor, Z. Scerri, M. Dias, K. Spencer, F. Zuniga (63 A. Borg), B. Borg (70 Lucas), T. Espindola, J. Mendoza (63 J. Silva). MGARR UNITED
J. Chircop St John, PK. Farrugia (90 L. Portelli), M. Borg Bartolo, J. Camilleri, J Grech, J. Suda (82 K. Arai), A. Borg, C. Saint Edisindor, J.P. Zammit, R. Camilleri, M. Attard.
Referee: Alex Johnson.
Brincat 3, Nwoga 118 Micallef 78, 116
(Sliema win 4-3 on penalties)
MOSTA
D. Akpan; T. Shedrack (111 J. Farrugia), A. Valois (81 N. Obidike), S. Cachia, D. Evans, L. Tenebe, N. Nnaji (46 A. Hovhannisyan), W. Britto, J. Scerri, Z. Brincat, K. Tulimieri (69 N. Agius).
SLIEMA WANDERERS
R. Al Tumi; J. Borg, J. Minala, V. Plut (100 J. Engerer), M. Beerman, J. Arthur (46 L. Micallef), G. Alcino, E. Agius (75 N. Frendo), D. Kouao, M. Henrique (46 M. Awad), G. Acheampong.
Yellow cards: Aquilina, Tenebe.
Brincat,
Referee: Fyodor Zammit.
Missed penalty: Joseph (Sliema Wanderers) 90.
Tulimieri,
Minala
PENALTY SEQUENCE
Awad (S) scores 1-0; Tenebe (M) misses 1-0; Micallef (S) scores 2-0; Farrugia (M) scores 2-1; Frendo (S) 31; Cachia (M) 3-2; Alcino (S) 4-2; Britto (M) scores 4-3; Acheampong (S) saved 4-3; N. Agius (M) missed 4-3.
saw his shot coming off the upright.
A Luis Furtado brace helped Floriana beat Marsaxlokk to advance to the semi-finals.
Floriana took the lead on 49 minutes when Furtado raced clear on the right and hit a low shot that rolled past Drobnjak.
Marsaxlokk tried to fight back but their hopes were ended when Furtado was floored inside the area to win a penalty.
Furtado stepped up and saw his effort partially blocked by Drobnjak but from the rebound, the forward stabbed home.