Oratory Make Sure of Qualification with Second Half Goals

GFA Cup Q/final
Gozo Stadium

Qala S : 0

F. Buttigieg, F. Mumford, S. Sillato, G. Silatto, J. Rapa, B. Meilak, J. Buttigieg, W. Cassar (C. Caruana), M. Cefai, C. Portelli (S. Spiteri), D. Zamora.

Oratory Y : 5 (B. Perello Palou 26’pen., 76’, 90+1’; S. Gwar 62’, 78’)

C. Mercieca, J. Attard (N. Attard), A. Debrincat (K. Grima), B. Perello Palou, M. Gauci, J. Polo Longarela, A. Azzopardi, K. Borg, I. Dolara, S. Gwar, M. Buttigieg (J. Buttigieg).

First division side Oratory Youths found it more difficult than expected to obtain a place with the last four teams in the second most important competition in Gozitan football and only managed to make sure of the victory with goals that arrived during the last stages of the encounter.  Oratory saw more of the ball but they were overconfident in their approach and during the first hour of play did not manage to create serious danger towards Qala’s organized defense.  The Youths opened the score from a penalty converted before the half hour of play and practically paved the way to the victory with the second goal that arrived just after the hour mark.  The Youths dominated the rest of the encounter and had attempts that were stopped by the woodwork apart from scoring on three other occasions.  Qala tried hard to remain in contention for qualification and although they created sporadic danger within Oratory’s territory they threw the towel after conceding the second goal and ended up suffering a defeat with a large score.

Qala created the first serious action at goal of the encounter through a header by John Rapa from a corner kick by Christian Portelli in the eight minute of play.  Oratory replied on 10 minutes through a free kick by Andrea Azzopardi that ended high and on 21 minutes Oratory’s Inigo Dolara had a low shot that was stopped by the base of the post and form the rebound Qala’s keeper Franco Buttigieg blocked a good attempt by Sibi Gwar.  Oratory were awarded a penalty on 25 minutes for a foul by Samuel Sillato on Inigo Dolara and Bartomeu Perello Palou opened the score with his shot from the spot kick.  Qala could have leveled the score on the half hour mark but Oratory’s goalie Courtney Mercieca blocked an effort by Dario Zamora who entered alone in the area.  Three minutes later Qala’s keeper Franco Buttigieg was well placed to block a low shot by Inigo Dolara and the same goalkeeper was called to make another intervention on 44 minutes to save a shot from outside the area by Manuel Buttigieg.

In the fourth minute of play of the second period Qala’s Dario Zamora surprised Oratory’s rearguard but his lob addressed towards an open goal was stopped by the post.  Two minutes later Oratory had a goal by Andrea Debrincat that was disallowed for an offside.  On 56 minutes Oratory’s Manuel Gauci had a strike from outside the area that hit the crossbar and from the rebound Bartomeu Perello Palou had his header that was also stopped by the woodwork.  The Youths doubled the score on 62 minutes through a low drive by Sibi Gwar who was alone in the area.  On 76 minutes Oratory added another goal when Bartomeu Perello Palou received the ball at the edge of the area, turned around the goalkeeper and placed easily into an open goal.  Oratory scored their fourth goal on 78 minutes when an effort by Inigo Dolara from a corner kick by Bartomeu Perello Palou hit the crossbar and form the rebound Sibi Gwar turned the ball in goal from close distance.  Inigo Dolara could have added another goal on 86 minutes but his shot from an angled position was stopped by the post.  Oratory scored the fifth goal in the first minute of stoppage time through Bartomeu Perello Palou who entered the area with a personal action, turned around the goalkeeper and netted into an open goal with a low shot.