GFA Gozo Football League Division II
MATCH DETAILS
17 September 2018 – Kercem Ajax Stadium
Oratory Y FC: 2 (A. Bezzina 21’, K. Farrugia 50’)
Sammut, J. Azzopardi, E. Buttigieg, G. Grech (A. Zammit), K. Grima (S. Curmi), K. Farrugia, F. Cini (G. Attard), S. Azzopardi, A.T. Bezzina, T.M.F. Dos Santos, O. Saliba.
St Lawrence S FC: 0
Brignoli, S. Sultana, A. Xiberras (L. Attard), C. Borg, J. Theuma, C. Cauchi (J. Grima), R. Duric, C. Azzopardi, D. Micallef, C. Farrugia, M. Zerafa (S. Sultana).
MATCH REPORT
Oratory Youths obtained three points from their first match of the campaign against St Laurence Spurs and with this result Oratory would gain confidence to be among the competitive sides in the category. The Youths were more offensive in their play and were also more organised at their defense so that they capitalized from their best scoring opportunities and denied the Spurs from recovering the deficit. The turning point of the encounter was undoubtedly Oratory’s second goal that arrived during the early stages of the second period.
The two teams had a prudent approach as they tried to avoid compromising the result at an early stage of the encounter. The first serious attempt at goal arrived on 9 minutes through a free kick by St Laurence’s Charlon Farrugia that got a deflection and the ball ended just over the crossbar. Oratory replied on 16 minutes through a shot by Glenn Grech that was saved to a corner by St Laurence’s keeper Angelo Brignoli. Four minutes later the same goalkeeper was well placed and blocked a strike by Aleandro Bezzina. Oratory opened the score on 21 minutes through a low drive by Aleandro Thomas Bezzina following a cross from the left flank. On 26 minutes the Youths were again dangerous through a header by Thiago Melo Dos Santos that ended just high following a free kick by Francesco Cini. The Spurs replied one minute later but a shot by Radovan Duric was neutralized by goalie Richard Sammut. On 31 minutes the same Duric had a good volley following a cross by Adrian Xiberras that was stopped by the crossbar and from the rebound Charlon Farrugia’s shot was deflected to a corner. Play continued to be well contested during the final stages of the first half. On 34 minutes Oratory’s Kersten Grima had an effort from an angled position that ended wide and two minutes later an effort by Oratory’s Aleandro Bezzina ended just over the crossbar. St Laurence had their best opportunity to recover the score before half time on 44 minutes but a shot by Chris Borg goat a deflection and ended in a corner and form the same corner action, another attempt by the same Borg hit a defender and the action ended in a corner.
Oratory doubled the score on 50 minutes when Thiago Melo Dos Santos released Keith Farrugia inside St Lawrence’s area. The latter had his first shot that was blocked by goalie Angelo Brignoli and from the rebound the same Farrugia concluded in goal as his shot bounced on defender Simon Sultana. Oratory continue to enjoy territorial supremacy and St Laurence’s best opportunity to reduce the score arrived on 66 minutes through a header by Daniel Micallef following a corner action that ended just over the crossbar. The Spurs tried to increase their efforts in an attempt to re-open the issue but the closest that they went to scoring was on 87 minutes through an attempt by Chris Borg that was cleared off the fatal line, with the goalkeeper out of his position, by central defender Justin Azzopardi. One minute later St Laurence’s Jason Theuma had a shot from a good position that was blocked by defender Emanuel Buttigieg.
Referee: George Portelli
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