Nadur reach the final of the BOV GFA Cup

16 March 2022

BOV GFA Cup – s/final Gozo Stadium

Oratory Youths FC : 0

Nadur Youngsters FC : 3

44’ (0-1) Joseph Zammit

54’ (0-2) Stefan Cassar 

60’ (0-3) penalty Marcelo Junior Barbosa

Oratory Y:

A. Brignoli (G/ Grech), J.V. Ferrari Silva, D. Atzori (S. Curmi), H.H. Goncalves Barbosa, D.G. Lago, P. Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira, I. Belhadj (M. Zammit), J. Grima, S. Azzopardi, K. Formosa (K. Farrugia), Ju. Attard (D. Azzopardi).

Nadur Y:

S. Sultana, M. Tabone, L. Moreira, J.M. Vella (M.P. Camilleri), I. Xuereb, J. Zammit, M.J. Barbosa, S. Cassar, E. Bruno Domingos (L. Atzori), G. Hili (O.P. Bugeja), J. Parnis (G. Farrugia).

Nadur Youngsters earned a place in the final of the second most important honour in Gozitan football with a convincing win over Oratory Youths.  With this win, Nadur is aiming to win the main competitions in local football as they are very close to becoming champions in the championship and are also finalists in the BOV GFA Division I Knock Out.

Nadur as expected dictate the matter in this match and paved the way to the win mainly by scoring the opener just before halftime and adding two more goals before the hour mark.  Oratory produced an effective defensive deployment for most of the first half and could have surprised their more quoted opponents but they missed two very good scoring opportunities and did not manage to recover the score when the qualification became compromised. One of the main protagonists of the encounter was undoubtedly Nadur’s striker Joseph Zammit, who scored the important first goal with a fine header and celebrated his first prestigious call to form part of the U/21 National Team.

Timeline

Nadur tried to put pressure on Oratory’s defence from the first minutes of play but they found it very difficult to create danger on Oratory’s goal so the Youths came out of their defence as time passed by and could have surprised their opponents following sporadic breaks.

16’ Nadur had their first serious attempt towards goal through a strike by Jordi Parnis that was blocked to a corner by the defence.

19’ Nadur’s Marcelo Barbosa exchanged the ball with Stefan Cassar in a counter break but the Brazilian striker concluded wide from a good position.

21’ Oratory could have capitalised better when Daniel Atzori received the ball inside the area but he tried to avoid his direct opponent instead of concluding towards the goal so that the defence blocked the danger.

23’ Nadur rearguard was again surprised with a break by Oratory’s Goncalves Barbosa who unmarked Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira but the striker concluded badly when he was alone in front of the goalkeeper and the latter managed to save the danger to a corner.

26’ Nadur were unlucky when an attempt directly from a free-kick by Stefan Cassar was stopped by the crossbar.

32’ Oratory’s Goncalves Barbosa had a curling shot from outside the area that ended just wide.

37’ Nadur’s keeper Steve Sultana was well placed and saved a header by Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva following a corner kick by Vinicius Ferreira.

38’ In the following action Nadur operated a break which released Ederson Bruno Domingos but the latter saw his low shot that ended just wide.

44’ (0-1) Nadur broke the deadlock when Ian Xuereb delivered a cross from the right flank and Joseph Zammit headed in a goal from an ideal position.

HT (0-1)

Second Half

Nadur kept insisting after the resumption and practically they put their minds at rest from the qualification with two goals that arrived during the initial stages of the second period.  Oratory tried to take advantage when Nadur took off their feet from the pedal but Nadur defended well and administered play until the end of the encounter.

9’ (0-2) Nadur doubled the score when Marcelo Barbosa unmarked Stefan Cassar inside Oratory’s area and the latter addressed towards goal with the ball ending in the net despite the attempt of the goalkeeper to save the danger.

15’ (0-3) penalty Nadur was awarded a penalty for a foul by goalie Angelo Brignoli on Marcelo Junior Barbosa and the same striker converted with the shot from the spot-kick.

24’ Nadur could have added another goal when Marcelo Barbosa released Ederson Bruno Domingos but the goalkeeper Angelo Brignoli left his position in time and blocked the danger.

32’ Oratory’s goalie Angelo Brignoli made a good save to block a strike from outside the area by Marcelo Barbosa.

38’ Oratory’s substitute goalkeeper Giacomo Grech made the best save of the evening to turn to a corner a striking from outside the area by Joseph Zammit.

38’ The same goalkeeper made another effective intervention to block a close-range attempt by Marcelo Barbosa.

42’ Nadur could have sealed the win when substitute Lorenzo Atzori passed inside the area to Stefan Cassar but the latter saw his shot on the run that ended wide.

FT (OY 0 – NY 3)

Referee: Joseph Scerri