13 November 2022
BOV GFA Cup (Q/finals) Kercem Arkafort Stadium
Oratory Youths FC: 2
Qala Saints FC : 3
28’ (1-0) James Tabone
30’ (1-1) Jordi Parnis
33’ (1-2) Nathan Chukwudi Njoku
42’ (1-3) Martin Buttigieg
53’ (2-3) Neil Said
85’ (red card) Franklin Vella (QS)
Oratory Y:
R. Sammut, J. Tabone, M. Zammit (N. Said), J. De Sousa Ferreira, K. Farrugia (K. Hili), H.H. Goncalves Barbosa, O. Curmi (D. Atzori), A. Xuereb (A. Azzopardi), N. Sutic, Ju. Attard, S.U. Ubuwere.
Qala S:
M. Zammit (F. Vella), L. Grima, Jsph. Buttigieg, J.V. Ferrari Silva, M. Buttigieg (J. Xerri), J.Y. Suzuki Bicudo, A. Carvalho, E. Buttigieg, J. Parnis (Jsh. Buttigieg), N.C. Njoku (R.C. Prudente), M. Xerri.
In the only match from the quarter-finals stage of the BOV GFA Cup between teams from the top flight, Qala Saints registered a 3-2 win over Oratory Youths. With this result, the revelation side of the season Qala remains in contention in all competitions of local football. In the semi-finals, Qala will face Nadur Youngsters.
The match was well contested and the qualification remained uncertain for most of the time. The Youths took the lead but the Maroons had an impressive reaction and ended the first half with a two-goal lead. Oratory re-opened the issue after the break while Qala missed some good opportunities where they could have made sure of the win. Qala was reduced to ten players during the final stages of the encounter but the Youths failed to capitalise so the Maroons defended their one-goal lead until the final whistle.
Timeline:
The two sides came out for this match motivated to take command of play but during the first part of the encounter the two defensive departments prevailed over the respective strikers and the two goalkeepers were not called to make difficult interventions. However, the turning point of the match arrived when the Youths took the lead as Qala had an immediate reaction and managed to turn the score in their favour with goals scored in the space of three minutes.
17’ Qala could have opened the score when Julian Yoiti Suzuki Bicudo passed inside Oratory’s area to Nathan Chukwudi Njoku but the latter saw his attempt stopped by the crossbar.
27’ (crossbar) Oratory went close to taking the lead when Qala’s Njoku hit badly inside his area in an attempt to clear the ball from a free kick but goalie Mattia Zammit avoided an own goal by turning the ball to a corner. From the resultant corner kick by Nikola Sutic the defence deflected the ball but the attempt by James Tabone hit the crossbar.
28’ (1-0) The Youths opened the score from another corner kick by Nikola Sutic and on this occasion, the goalkeeper deflected the ball and James Tabone was at the right place to conclude in goal with a tap-in.
30’ (1-1) Qala had an immediate reaction and levelled the score when Jordi Parnis took the ball on the right-hand side, entered the area and surprised the goalkeeper with a fine shot.
33’ (1-2) The Maroons turned the result in their favour with a goal scored by Nathan Chukwudi Njoku who surprised Oratory’s keeper and the central defender and concluded in goal from close distance following a cross from the left flank by Julian Yoiti Suzuli Bicudo.
42’ (1-3) Qala added another goal when Jordi Parnis took the ball inside Oratory’s area and passed to Martin Buttigieg so that the latter turned around his direct opponent and fired in goal from an angled position.
HT (1-3)
Second Half
Oratory tried to produce a reaction from the early stages of the second period and achieved their objective after a few minutes so that the match became much more contested with an outcome that remained uncertain until the final moments of the encounter.
5’ The Youths were dangerous through an attempt directly from a free kick by Nikola Sutic that ended wide.
6’ Qala’s substitute goalkeeper Franklin Vella was called to make a good intervention to block a low shot from the left-hand side by Haraan Goncalves Barbosa.
8’ (2-3) Oratory re-opened the issue when Qala’s keeper Franklin Vella partially saved a close ranged shot by substitute Neil Said following a cross by Haraan Goncalves Barbosa and from the rebound, the same Said netted from close distance.
11’ Qala replied with a low shot from an angled position by Julian Yoiti Suzuki Bicudo that ended on the side of the net.
20’ The Maroons once again threatened Oratory’s defence through a cross-shot by Ayesller Carvalho that ended high.
26’ Qala could have capitalised better when Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva unmarked substitute Rafael Conrado Prudente inside Oratory’s area but the latter had his first attempt that was partially saved by goalie Richard Sammut and from the rebound, the same striker had his shot from an angled position that was blocked to a corner.
33’ Qala operated a good action when Jordi Parnis entered Oratory’s area, and turned around the goalkeeper but his attempt aimed towards an open goal was blocked to a corner by central defender James Tabone.
40’ (red card) Qala was reduced to ten players when Oratory’s Neil Said had an attempt that was handled by goalie Franklin Vella outside the area. The goalkeeper was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity and Qala’s striker Rafael Conrado Prudente, who came on the field of play as a substitute, continued the match as a goalkeeper.
44’ (protests for penalty) Oratory could have created more danger when Haraan Goncalves Barbosa entered the area but ended up on the floor following a challenge with a defender but the referee did not notice any infringement.
FT (OY 2 – QS 3)
Referee: Emanuel Grech
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