Lija Athletic 0
Mosta 4
Mosta turned in a fine performance to hammer Lija Athletic 4-0 and avenge their defeat to the same opponents in the Division One KO.
In a match that erupted in the second half, Lija defender Matthew Fleri Soler earned a red card for committing two penalties and team-mate Daniel Scerri grabbed attention with three goal-line clearances as Mosta ran riot.
The first 45 minutes lacked excitement. Mosta may have taken the lead after just two minutes when Cain Farrugia was first to Adrian Borg’s cross but Scerri cleared the Mosta midfielder’s effort off the line.
Mosta’s early flurry died down as Lija began to see more of the ball without troubling Jonathan Debono in the opposing goal.
The Blues forced a breakthrough on 31 minutes when Adrian Farrugia headed the ball into the danger zone from a Kane Farrugia cross. A posse of Mosta players were well-placed at the far post but Fleri Soler raised a hand to change the flight of the ball. Referee Paul Apap whistled a penalty and booked Fleri Soler. Kane Farrugia converted the spot-kick.
Now it was all Mosta with William Camenzuli and Lee Grima bringing the best out of Lija goalkeeper Luke Bonnici.
Mosta continued to show the better ideas at the start of the second half. After five minutes, Camenzuli crossed for Grima whose header was saved by Bonnici.
From the resulting corner, Simon Shead was too quick for the Lija defence to slot the ball home.
Midway through the second half, Mosta were awarded their second penalty. Gilbert Martin won a ball well outside the area and sprinted through only to be bundled over by Fleri Soler. The Lija defender was sent off and Kane Farrugia scored his second from the spot.
The Blues almost added a fourth goal 17 minutes from time when a good move between Martin and Kane Farrugia ended with the latter’s drive being hooked off the line by Scerri.
A minute later, Shead missed a sitter after being put through by Martin. On 77 minutes, Scerri amazingly made his third goal-line clearance to deny Shead.
In stoppage time, Bonnici saved his side from further embarrassment when he foiled Martin and Camenzuli but the Lija goalkeeper could do nothing when Shead made it 4-0 in the final seconds.
Lija Athletic: L. Bonnici, A. Saliba, D. Scerri, A. Sacco, M. Potezika, K. Darmanin, A. Scicluna, A. Dzanovic (A. Buhagiar), B. Antignolo (W. Borg St John), D. Caruana (M. Camilleri), M. Fleri Soler.
Mosta: J. Debono, A. Borg (A. Cini), K. Farrugia (P. Vassallo), M. Brincat, K. Spiteri, W. Camenzuli, N. Bogdanovic (R. Deguara), M. Briggs, L. Grima, S. Shead, G. Martin.
Referee: Paul Apap.
Man of the match: Gilbert Martin (Mosta).