Deserved Win For St Lawrence

The Malta FA Trophy: Rd 1
Kercem Ajax Stadium

St Lawrence S: 3 (M.S. Telessi 25’, 55’; C. Tabone 72’)

Micallef, L. Buttigieg, C. Cardona, S. Mizzi, L. Attard (J. Grech), J. Theuma, M.S. Telessi (S. Caruana), C. Cauchi, J. Micallef (J. Grima), D. Micallef, C. Tabone.

Zurrieq FC: 0

J.C. Faenza, B. Farrugia, B. Scerri, L. Caruana (L. Borg), R. Farrugia, N. Abdilla, L. Nagiah (J. Buhagiar), D. Darmanin, B. Chetcuti, N. Bouvet, M. Dimitrijzvic.

St Lawrence Spurs obtained qualification to the second round with a win over Zurrieq FC at the Kercem Ajax Stadium. The match was well contested during the first half but Zurrieq suffered from a player less on the field so that the hosts took advantage, took control of play and capitalised from their best scoring opportunities. Zurrieq’s play was often sterile and the strikers were also erratic in their finishing while St Lawrence were well deployed at their defence and strikers Mohammed Telessi and Charlon Tabone were quite dangerous within Zurrieq’s territory.

Zurrieq were more aggressive during the opening minutes of the encounter and were also dangerous on more than one occasions through initiatives by Marko Dimitrijzvic and Luca Nagiah. The visitors however compromised their superiority on 15 minutes when Nathaniel Bouvet was sent off by the referee for a foul away from the action and therefore left his side with a player less on the field. The Spurs took immediate advantage and opened the score on 25 minute through a low drive by Mohammed Senussi Tellesi following a counter break. The Spurs continued to control play but on 35 minutes Zurrieq could have levelled the score when Dylan Darmanin entered the area fro the right flank and from his cross Ryan Farrugia had his close ranged attempt blocked by goalie Godwin Micallef with some difficulty. The visitors were again dangerous on 39 minutes when goalie Godwin Micallef left his goal unattended but Marko Dimitrijzvic’s lob ended just over the crossbar.

After the break St Lawrence continued to be well organised on the field and 49 minutes they went close to scoring through a header by Christopher Cauchi following a corner kick by Shaun Mizzi that ended just wide. The Spurs doubled the score on 55 minutes through a lob from an angled position by Mohammed Senussi Telessi into an open goal following a personal effort. Zurrieq tried to reduce the score but goalie Godwin Cauchi was not called to make any difficult interventions to keep a clean sheet. On 72 minutes St Lawrence increased the score when Charlon Tabone turned around his direct opponents at the edge of area and netted with a low shot. Until the end of the encounter Zurrieq continued to suffer St Lawrence’s play and the hosts could have added more goals during the final minutes but Charlon Tabone, substitute Johnny Grech and on two occasions the other substitute Sylvan Caruana all had close ranged attempts that ended just wide from Zurrieq’s goal.

Referee: Antonio Riolo
Photo: Anaca Photography