GFA BOV GFL Division II
Sannat Ground
St Lawrence S : 1 (M.S. Telessi 85’)
Fenech, L. Buttigieg, C. Cardona, S. Mizzi, J. Theuma (C. Cauchi), M.S. Telessi, J. Grima, D. Micallef, J. Grech (S. Sultana), C. Tabone (S. Caruana), L. Attard.
Gharb R : 0
Mercieca, R. Vella, C. Gafa, M. Vella, J. Azzopardi, J. Muscat (F. Attard) (J. Portelli), C. Attard, R. Grech, J. Camenzuli, P.A. Attard, S. Fidelis.
In the first match from match-day seven of the campaign St Lawrence Spurs obtained the full points at stake from their direct clash against current leaders Gharb Rangers. With this result the Spurs are now just one point behind the same Gharb and therefore become one of the serious contenders for promotion. The two sides were aiming for the victory from this match since Gharb needed points to consolidate their leadership while the Spurs needed the victory to extend their good moment of form after their disappointing performances during the first round. In this match the two sides had good moments and both produced scoring opportunities so that victory could have gone either way. The Spurs managed to clinch the victory with a goal that arrived five minutes from the end of regular time and there was not enough time for Gharb to recover the score.
Gharb could have scored an early goal but in the fourth minute of play a shot by Justin Azzopardi was topped by the post. St Lawrence replied on 14 minutes through a free kick by Jason Theuma that was neutralised by goalie Nicholas Mercieca and on 25 minutes a good attempt by Charlon Tabone ended just over Gharb’s goal. On 36 minutes Gharb produced a good action inside St Lawrence’s area but Christian Attard had a good shot that ended high. Before the end of the first half the two sides had a scoring opportunity each. On 42 minutes an effort by St Lawrence’s Mohammed Senussi Telessi ended just wide and one minute later Gharb’s Josef Camezuli had a shot from an ideal position following a short clearance by St Lawrence’s defence that missed the target.
The Spurs tried to increase their efforts after the break but they ended up conceding space at the defensive department. As a result Gharb became more dangerous and went very close to scoring on more than one occasion. On 57 minutes a shot by Gharb’s Saviour Fidelis was deflected to a corner and on 64 minutes the same striker entered the area despite a challenge by two defenders but goalie Elliot Fenech cleared the danger in time and denied Fidelis from concluding his action. St Lawrence replied on 69 minutes through a shot by Shaun Mizzi that was neutralised by goalie Nicholas Mercieca and four minutes later Gharb’s Saviour Fidelis had a good attempt that was saved by goalie Elliott Fenech. The same goalkeeper was called to make another difficult intervention on 74 minutes to turn to a corner a shot by saviour Fidelis and from the resultant corner action two shots by Christian Attard and Saviour Fidelis were blocked by Mohammed Senussi Tellessi with the goalkeeper beaten. The Spurs recovered from the difficult moment and on 77 minutes a strike by Luke Attard ended high. Four minutes later a free kick by Mohammed Senussi Telessi was saved to a corner by goalie Nicholas Mercieca. The same Libyan striker had a curling shot on 83 minutes that ended inches wide. St Lawrence scored the goal that decided the issue two minutes later through a strike by Mohammed Senussi Telessi from outside the area following a personal initiative that ended in the lower corner of goal and out of the reach the goalkeeper. Gharb’s reaction was sterile and in the third minute of stoppage time St Lawrence could have made sure of the victory with a second goal when Mohammed Senussi Telessi entered Gharb’s territory but had his two consecutive shot blocked by goalie Nicholas Mercieca.
Referee: Adrian Caruana
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