Kercem Earn Dramatic Qualification

MFA Boost Diesel FA Trophy Rd 1
Gozo Stadium

Oratory Y : 4 (R. Ebube Okpokwu 38’, B. Perello Palou 79’, J. Buttigieg 94’, 120+2’)

C. Mercieca, M. Azzopardi (A. Bezzina), D. Azzopardi, C. Mercieca, J. Polo Longarela, K. Farrugia (K. Grima), J. Buttigieg, B. Perello Palou, L. Mba Mutasi, M. Buttigieg, R. Ebube Okpokwu.

Kercem A : 4 (O. Rolovic 55’pen., A. Haska 90+1’, N. Mercieca 117’, J.P. Mizzi 120’)

J.P. Cassar, P. Kyumyurdzhiev, M. Tabone, O. Spiteri, J. Grech, M. Mamo (D. Cassar), J.P. Mizzi, N. Mercieca, A. Komljenovic, O. Rolovic, A. Haska.

Kercem Ajax win 4-1 on penalties

Kercem Ajax obtained qualification to the second round of the MFA FA Trophy with a win over Oratory Youths in a penalty shoot out.  The match turned out in a well contested encounter where the qualification could have gone either way.  It was therefore not surprising that a penalty shoot out was required to determine the winner of the clash between two teams from the top flight of Gozitan football.  Kercem held territorial supremacy for more time than their opponents and also created more scoring opportunities throughout the match.  However, Oratory were well organized and were very effective in their offensive play so that they were in the lead on three separate occasions.  The last minutes of play of extra time were the most dramatic as Kercem managed to turn the result in their favour seconds from the end of extra time but Oratory scored the eighth goal of the encounter during stoppage time of extra time and took the match into a penalty shoot-out.  In the penalty shootout Kercem scored four penalty kicks from four, while Oratory only scored one goal from three kicks from the spot.  In the second round of the competition Kercem will meet Attard.

Kercem seemed more adventerous during the opening minutes and went close to scoring on more than one occasion.  On 9 minutes Alen Haska unmarked Ognjen Rolovic inside the area but the latter saw his attempt towards the far post that ended inches wide and on 14 minutes a good shot by Alen Haska was well saved by goalie Courtney Mercieca.  As time passed by Oratory started to share more play with their opponents and on 25 minutes they could have opened the score but Bartomeu Perello Palou failed to conclude form close distance following some hesitation by Kercem’s rearguard in front of the goalmouth.  Three minutes later Kercem’s Ognjen Rolovic entered the area but goalie Courtney Mercieca left his position in time and blocked the danger.  The same Rolovic had an attempt on 36 minutes directly from a free kick that ended just over Oratory’s goal and two minutes later Oratory opened the score through a close ranged header by Ralph Ebube Okpokwu following a corner action taken by Bartomeu Perello Palou.

The Youths continued to enjoy territorial supremacy during the first minutes of play of the second period but they failed to capitalize with good attempts towards Kercem’s goal.  Kercem lost a good scoring opportunity on 53 minutes when Marlon Mamo incredibly missed the ball from close distance following an inviting cross by Nathaniel Mercieca.  Kercem obtained the deserved equalizer two minutes later when the referee awarded a penalty for a foul by Joshua Buttigieg on Ognjen Rolovic and the same striker converted from the spot kick.  The Ajax were now in the driving seat and minutes later Marlon Mamo headed weak from close distance so that Oratory’s goalie saved without difficulty.  The Youths replied on 61 minutes through a personal effort by Brtomeu Perello Palou that ended on the side of the net and three minutes later Kercem’s Ognjen Rolovic unmarked Marlon Mamo inside Oratory’s area but the latter saw his low drive ending just wide.  As time passed by the two sides became more worried to protect their respective area so that the actions at goal became rare.  On 78 minutes Kercem had an attempt directly from a free kick by Ognjem Rolovic that ended wide.  Oratory regained the lead on 79 minutes when Ralph Ebube Okpokwu took a back pass aimed to Kercem’s goalkeeper and unmarked Bartomeu Perello Palou who placed easily into an open goal.  Kercem had an immediate reaction and four minutes later a strike from close distance by Ognjen Rolovic missed the target.  The Ajax however managed to level the score in the first minute of stoppage time when Alen Haska placed the ball behind the goalkeeper with a low shot following a personal action.

Play continued to be balanced during the first moments of extra time but Oratory regained the lead for the third time on 94 minutes when Bartomeu Perello Palou entered the area from the right flank and form his cross Joshua Buttigieg fired in goal from an unmarked position.  Kercem replied five minutes later but Alen Haska hesitated to conclude following a through pass by Marlon Mamo and goalie Courtney Mercieca saved the danger.  Oratory tried to control their lead in the following minutes but midway through the second half of extra time Kercem went very close to scoring when Aleksander Komiljenovic unmarked Ognjen Rolovic but the latter had his low shot addressed to the far post deflected to a corner with difficulty by goalie Courtney Mercieca..  Kercem scored the third equalizer on 117 minutes when Oratory’s rearguard failed to clear a cross from the right flank by Ognjen Rolovic and Nathaniel Mercieca placed in goal from close distance.  Kercem also managed to take the lead for the first time during the match on the stroke of extra time through a tap-in by Jean Paul Mizzi following a low cross by Alen Haska.  However, Kercem failed to defend the result as Oratory leveled the score in the second minute of stoppage time through a cross-shot by Joshua Butigieg that surprised Kercem’s keeper so that the match had to be decided through a penalty shoot-out.

Kercem scored four penalty kicks through Petar Kyumyurdzhiev, Jean Paul Mizzi, Ognjen Rolovic and Alen Haska.  Oratory scored their first penalty kick through Joshua Buttigieg, but Luciano Mba Mutasi’s shot from the spot kick ended wide and Manuel Buttigieg had his shot saved by Kercem’s goalie John Paul Cassar.

Referee: Alex Johnson