Qala, St Lawrence Fail to Reduce the Gap from the Top Positions

GFA BOV GFL Division II
Kercem Ajax Stadium

Qala S: 0

Buttigieg, J. Rapa, M. Pace, F. Mumford (L. Portelli), S. Sillato, B. Meilak, W. Cassar, S. Dimech (L. Meilak), M. Mamo, K. Kacoli, C. Caruana (O. Pogukay).

St Lawrence S: 0

Fenech, L. Buttigieg, J. Micallef, S. Mizzi, J. Theuma, M.S. Telessi, J. Grima, D. Micallef, J. Grech, C. Tabone, L. Attard.

Qala Saints and St Lawrence Spurs earned a point each from a goalless draw so that they both remain away from the top positions on the table.  The two sides needed a victory from this encounter in their attempt to recover form a difficult start in the campaign.  St Lawrence were coming from a disappointing defeat while Qala were aiming to obtain their first win.  This was Qala’s third draw from four matches in the campaign.  The final result is quite just.  The match was conditioned by the weather conditions.  The Spurs did not manage to convert their territorial supremacy expressed during the first half into goals so that after the break the two sides crated some good scoring opportunities and victory could have gone either way.

The Spurs took advantage of the wind blowing in their favour and kept the pressure of play on Qala’s defence from the very beginning.  However, St Lawrence’s first serious attempt at goal arrived on 22 minutes through a direct corner kick by James Grima that was turned to another corner with difficulty by goalie Franco Buttigieg.  Four minutes later St Lawrence’s Mohammed Tellessi headed wide from a good position following a corner kick by Johnny Grech and on 29 minutes the same Telessi once again headed badly from a good position so that the ball ended wide following a cross by Luke Attard.  Qala’s best scoring opportunity of the first half arrived on 34 minutes when Marlon Mamo entered St Lawrence’s area but goalie Elliott Fenech was at the right place and blocked the danger.

After the resumption the Spurs tried to maintain their superiority over their opponents and on 49 minutes they were dangerous through a free kick by Jason Theuma that was saved by goalie Franco Azzopardi.  Four minutes later Qala replied through a header by Marlon Mamo from a free kick by Brian Meilak that ended wide.  As time passed by play became more balanced.  On 68 minutes a shot by Qala’s Charlon Tabone ended on the top of the net and one minute later a free kick from long distance by Brian Meilak was saved in two attempts by St Lawrence’s goalie Elliott Fenech.  The same goalkeeper was called to make another difficult intervention on 70 minutes to save a close ranged shot by substitute Luke Meilak.  St Lawrence went very close to scoring on 79 minutes but a strike by Charlon Tabone was stopped by the post.  On 87 minutes Qala were reduced to ten players when Marlon Mamo was sent off for a second bookable offence.  Qala went very close to obtain a dramatic win as they had a header by John Rapa, in the first minute of stoppage time, from a corner kick by Brian Meilak that ended just wide.

Referee: George Portelli