Easy passage for Birkirkara
BIRKIRKARA 6
Yankam 15; Falcone 45; Carniello 66; Attard 74, 83; Caio 81
LIJA ATHLETIC 0
Birkirkara
A. Sylla (78 M. Spiteri), Y. Yankam, P. Mbong, K. Zammit, F. Falcone, F. Verde, C. Attard, C. Bonanni (81 N. Friggieri), C.Prado (81 G. Farrugia), O. Carniello, I. Ntow (66 R. Alidor).
Lija Athletic
L. Bonnici, C. Cassar, P. Gusso, D. Scerri, N. Micallef (9 C. Flores), H. Wood, J. Wells, C. Giordimaina (58 B. Antignolo), N. Mclaren (64 A. Mizzi), G. Virano (64 A. Galea), V. Alhinho.
Referee Stefan Pace.
Red card: Alhinho (L) 89.
This was an emphatic statement of intent from Birkirkara who turned on the style to thump Lija 6-0 and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy. This clash considered as a derby, was far from a classic as Birkirkara dominated from start to finish.
Andrè Paus named his strongest possible line-up perhaps a signal of his intent to land his first piece of silverware with Birkirkara as his counterpart Joseph Galea rested his prized-assets namely Fernando Brandan, Miguel Jimenez and Juan Cruz Gill.
Sylla got away with a major error after just two minutes. Francesco Verde looked to have cleared any danger when dispossessing Nicholas McLaren and passed the ball to the young goalkeeper, who let the ball slip under his legs.
But the ball hit harmlessly the post and disaster was averted.
Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the sports website by Times of Malta