U*BET FA Trophy: Sannat Lions, Nadur Youngsters reach fourth round

The Sirens Stadium brought luck to the Gozitans as Sannat Lions and Nadur Youngsters secured a place in the fourth round of the U*BET FA Trophy after defeating St. Patrick and Zejtun Corinthians respectively.

Rabat Ajax scored a stoppage-time penalty to beat First Division side Pietà Hotspurs while Gzira United defeated Gozitans SK Victoria Wanderers 1-0. Champions Valletta returned to winning ways as they beat Hamrun Spartans 3-1 while Mqabba beat neighbours Zurrieq 2-1.

At the National Stadium, a penalty three minutes in added time by Clifford Gauci enabled Rabat Ajax to register a narrow win over First Division side Piet&agrave Hotspurs.

The Hotspurs created the few goal scoring opportunities witness throughout the ninety minutes but in added time, Ismael Grech handled the ball inside the penalty area leaving no option to referee Alan Mario Sant other than order a penalty and show a second yellow card to the Pietà player who was therefore sent off.

PIETÀ Miguel Montfort, Clive Spiteri, Hogni Madsen, Christian Grech, Raphael Alain Kooh Sohna, Cleavon Frendo, Larson Mallia, Ceaven Cassar, Jonathan Bilbao Zarate, Ismael Grech, Jurgen Pisani.
Coach: Edmond Lufi
RABAT Sean Mintoff, Ivan Carapic Joseph Caruana, Manuel Moral Fuster, Dylan Falzon, Patrick Borg, Clive Brincat (76’ Gaetano Gesualdi), Yan Cauchi, David Azzopardi, Clifford Gauci.
Coach: Silvio Vella
Referee: Alan Mario Sant
Assistant Referees: Luke Portelli, Chris Francalanza
Fourth Official: Glenn Tonna
Scorers: 90+3′ Clifford Gauci

Champions Valletta returned to winning ways as they beat Hamrun Spartans 3-1.

Valetta took the lead on 15 minutes thanks to a goal by Ian Zammit but Gianluca Calabretta equalised on the 28th minute.

William Barbosa made it 2-1 for Valletta on the 70th minute and the same player sealed the issue with a third goal six minutes from time.

VALLETTA Yenz Cini, Dyson Falzon, Ian Azzopardi, William Barbosa, Edmond Agius (87’ Kurt Magro), Ryan Fenech (67’ Shaun Bajada), Denni Rocha dos Santos, Joao Gabriel da Silva (63’ Leandro da Silva Almeida), Roderick Briffa, Ian Azzopardi, Ricardo Barreto da Rocha Filho.
Coach: Mark Miller
HAMRUN Andrea Cassar, Adrian Ivanov, Lyubomir Vitanov, Roderick Fenech, Anton Vergilov, Daniel Zerafa, Massimo Grima, Adrian Borg (71’ David Camilleri), Gianluca Calabretta, Ryan Spiteri (73’ Nikolay Bozhov), Terence Vella (86’ Glenn Azzopardi).
Coach: Stefan Sultana
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Assistant Referees: Alex Grech, Mitchell Scerri
Fourth Official: Kevin Azzopardi
Scorers: 15′ Ian Zammit, 28′ Gianluca Calabretta, 70′ William Barbosa, 84′ William Barbosa

First Division side Gzira United defeated Gozitans SK Victoria Wanderers 1-0 at the Centenary Stadium. Yanis Tonna scored the all-important goal on 11 minutes.

GZIRA Kyle Gerada, Karl Saliba (87′ Jean Bert Gatt), Pierre Grima, Aaron Xuereb, Andre White, Jimmy Martin Hussey, Yanis Tonna, Dino Cachia, Simon Shead, Ademolo Shenowo, Ryan Deguara (77′ Alfred Effiong).
Coach: Gordon Camilleri
SKVW Franklyn Vella, Eman Bugeja (61′ Kenneth Mercieca), David Udoh Monday, John Paul Grima, Sammy Frank Bajada, Eric Chidi Nwankwo, Oliver Farrugia, Ajibade Adeshina, Edison Ariel Estrada Sanchez, Sergio Ivan Paz Reyes, Christopher Sciortino. Coach: Brian Azzopardi
Referee: Philip Farrugia
Assistant Referees: Albert Borg Cardona, Ingmar Spiteri

In another match, First Division side Mqabba defeated Second Division side Zurrieq 2-1.

Spas Spasov put Mqabba ahead two minutes in the second half and Emiliano Lattes doubled the score on 73 minutes but Glenn Bonello pulled one back for Zurrieq seven minutes from time.

ZURRIEQ Jeremy Alden, Karl Sacco, Darko Stojanovic, Karl Magro, Joseph Lia, Daniel Zammit, Matthew Schembri, Matthew Cocks (85′ Tyrone Borg), Stephen Azzopardi, Glenn Bonello, Benjamin Adams.
Coach: David Carabott
MQABBA Kris Calleja, Andrew Scicluna, Matthew Sciortino, John Anegbe, Andrew Caligari, Spas Petrov Spassov (78′ Oriansky Buhagiar), Christopher Cutajar, Clyde Camoin, Abeeb Abiodun Williams, Emiliano Lattes, Peter Chizoba Anizoba (94′ David Azzopardi).
Coach: Guilliermo Ganet
Referee: Jude Amin Utulu
Assistant Referees: Thomas Debono, Edward Spiteri
Scorers: 47′ Spas Spassov, 73′ Emiliano Lattes, 83′ Glenn Bonello

Gozitans Sannat Lions defeated Second Division side St. Patrick 2-1 at the Sirens Stadium.

Mark Muscat put the Lions ahead on 25 minutes and seemed heading for victory until Gordon Failla notched the equaliser on the 90th minute. However the game was not over yet as Sunday Baala handed Sannat victory in added time.

SANNAT Adrian Parnis, Mark Muscat, Patrick Camilleri, Peter Buttigieg, Andrew Debono, Dylan Mercieca, Sunday Baala, Ernest Qordya, Manuel Cordina, Oladapo Kayote, Blader Vata.
ST. PATRICK Jonathan Grech, Aaron Lagana, Reno Vella, Nikolay Filipov, Clyde Vella (75′ Keith Muscat), Rodnick Ellul, Ilyad Scicluna (58′ Steve Dimech), Luccian Scerri, Alex Ellul (66′ Gordon Failla), Aaron Guazzo, Randall Cassar.
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
Assistant Referees: William Debattista, Duncan Sultana
Scorers: 23′ Mark Muscat, 89′ Gordon Failla, 92′ Sunday Baala

In another match, Gozitans Nadur Youngsters defeated First Division side Zejtun Corinthians 3-1.

Milos Stojanovic put Nadur ahead and Claudio Antunes doubled the score. Kalin Ganchev scored the third goal for the Youngsters with Matthew Borg scoring a consolation goal for Zejtun.

ZEJTUN Ranier Farrugia, Karl Vassallo, Charlo Magro, Matthew Borg, Edward Azzopardi, Hamza Chaib (71′ Dylan Zarb), Zvezdan Vukovic, Blendi Gockaj (51′ Andre Farrugia), Adrian Carabott, Steve Simtchatcha (57′ Kenneth Abela), Reuben Degabriele.
Coach: Joey Falzon
NADUR Mark Grima, Brian Mejlaq, Paul Camilleri, Saviour Attard, Sandro Muller, Charles Mercieca (79′ Alex Simoncic), Charles Hili, Milos Stojanovic, Claudio Antunes, Kalin Ganchev (84′ Anthony Portelli), Frankie Camilleri (91′ Christian Debono).
Coach: Gotthard Conti
Referee: Sandro Spiteri
Assistant Referees: Andrew James Sammut, Roberto Vella
Scorers: 10′ Milos Stojanovic, 30′ Claudio Antunes, 56′ Kalin Ganchev, 66′ Matthew Borg

The sixteen teams to reach the fourth round are therefore Premier League sides Balzan, Birkirkara, Hibernians, Floriana, Qormi, Rabat Ajax and Valletta, First Division side Gudja United, Lija Athletic, St. Andrews, Gzira United and Mqabba, Second Division side Zebbug Rangers, Third Division side Marsaskala and Gozitans Sannat Lions and Nadur Youngsters.

The draw for the fourth round will be held on Monday.