Saints strike late to down Gudja

Birżebbuġa St Peter’s 2
Gudja United 1

Birżebbuġa St Peter’s avenged their first-round 2-1 defeat to Gudja United after beating them by the odd goal in three yesterday.

A draw looked on the cards but, three minutes from time, Gudja goalkeeper Matthew Xerxen, who was making his 300th appearance for the club, mistimed his sortie as he tried to cut out a cross and Czech defender Martin Hrubsa profited to head the ball home.

Gudja and Birżebbuġa shared the early exchanges before the former seized the initiative after forging ahead. The Saints struggled to make a reaction but managed to draw level just before half-time.

Four minutes into the game, Gudja defender Andrea Filippo Scozzese came close to scoring when he ran on to a long clearance but Birżebbuġa goalkeeper Christian Cassar dashed out to clear the ball.

Three minutes later, the Saints should have gone ahead but Paolo Cataldi, set up by Ronnie Celeste, incredibly drove wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

On 13 minutes, Cataldi came close again following a melee inside the area but this time Xerxen produced a fine save.

Gudja opened the scoring on 25 minutes. Anthony Ewurum freed Karl Azzopardi who fired home.

Gudja were dictating matters but the Saints managed to equalise, Celeste beating the onrushing Xerxen after being put through by Cataldi.

Most of the action in the second half took place in midfield with neither side threatening to score.

Both teams looked content with the point until three minutes from time when Xerxen missed Gary Caruana’s cross and Hrubsa headed home.

Birżebbuġa: C. Cassar, J. Briffa, P. Grima, P. Camilleri, M. Hrubsa, G. Favero, K. Borg, C. Calleja, G. Caruana (R. Micallef), R. Celeste (D. Grech), P. Cataldi (R. Zammit).

Gudja: M. Xerxen, D. D’Agostino, C. Farrugia, C. Fenech, I. Mariotti (P.P. Sammut), M. Brincat, A. Scozzese, G. Chircop, K. Azzopardi (C. Portelli), R. Dalli, A. Ewurum.

Referee: Luke Portelli.

Man of the match: Gary Caruana (Birżebbuġa).

Żurrieq 3
Gżira United 1

Żurrieq improved their survival hopes after beating Gżira United 3-1 yesterday.

It was a deserved win for the improving Żurrieq who could have sealed the points in the first half but were unlucky after hitting the post twice.

They were off to a good start.

After only two minutes, Osi Lucky Agboebina’s header came off the post but Żurrieq went in front in the fifth minute when Stefan Giglio scored directly from a free-kick.

Gżira United looked jaded and frustrated as they struggled to cope with Żurrieq’s counter-attacks.

Nigerian forward Joseph Jojo Ogunnupe, who was facing his former team, was unlucky when his effort flashed against the post on 16 minutes.

Gżira only had themselves to blame for not drawing level as the Żurrieq rearguard dropped its guard but Shawn Vella hit wide in front of Jeremy Alden, the Żurrieq goalkeeper.

The Maroons were now showing their true mettle.

Spanish striker Moises Avila Perez’s header brought the best out of Alden.

Six minutes from the break, Renie Forace’s first-time strike missed the target by a whisker.

Seconds before half-time, Żurrieq doubled their lead.

From another sweeping counter-break, Agboebina lobbed the ball over the onrushing Frederick Tabone.

After the change of ends, Gżira were more aggressive. Martin Kotyza’s drive was off target and Vella missed another good opportunity when firing wide from close range.

Żurrieq made sure of the points on 67 minutes when, following another breakaway, Agboebina scored with a grounder from just inside the area.

Three minutes later, Gżira scored a consolation goal as Vella’s piledriver gave Alden no chance.

Żurrieq: J. Alden, K. Sacco, K. Magro, S. Giglio, S. Wellman, M. Mifsud, M. Cocks, D. Darmanin (M. Schembri), Z. Vukovic, O. Agboebina (R. Alonjo Alves), J. Ogunnupe (J. Garnier).

Gżira: F. Tabone, A. White, R. Forace, J. Camilleri, J. Chetcuti (S. Meilak), B. Bondin, R. Deguara, C. Cassar (A. Sofranac), M. Avila Perez, M. Kotyza, S. Vella (S. Bonello).

Referee: Marco Borg.

Man of the match: Osi Lucky Agboebina (Żurrieq).

Standings