Six Premier League clubs secured a place in the fourth round of the U*BET FA Trophy after they emerged as winners in the final six third round matches which were played on Wednesday.
At the Sirens Stadium, Qormi had to struggle much more than expected to beat Gozitan side SK Victoria Wanderers 1-0 in extra-time. The Gozitans never looked inferior to their opponents and created opportunities thanks to which they could have even notched the winner. However with the score still 0-0 at the end of the ninety minutes, the game went into extra-time. Roderick Bajada scored the all-important goal just before the end of the first half of extra-time.
QORMI Matthew Farrugia, Roderick Sammut, Giuseppe Bellucci, Owen Bugeja, Duncan Pisani, Triston Caruana (83′ Luigi Del Giudice), Roderick Bajada, Leighton Grech, Riccardo Innocenti (115′ Emerson Vella), Alfred Effiong, Federico Santaguida (81′ Gianluca Nucera).
SKVW Simon Agius, Eman Bugeja, David Udoh Monday, Sammy Frank Bajada, Ajibade Adesina, Chris Sciortino, Fernando Giarrizzo, Joseph George Vella (111′ Joel Xuereb), Simon Sultana, Nicholas Vella (100′ Eric Chidi Nwankwo), Ejiofor Nkwocha.
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Scorer: 105′ Roderick Bajada
Tarxien Rainbows also reached the next stage thanks to a narrow win over Second Division side Mellieha at the Centenary Stadium. The Rainbows were reduced to ten men late in the first half when new signing Carlos Menéndez Hevia was sent off but five minutes in the second half, Fernando Lopes Alcantara headed home from a corner.
MELLIEĦA James Abela, Matthew Vella, Luke Cauchi, Isaac Sammut, David Cauchi (90′ Jean Paul Debattista), Robert Perkins, Julian Vella, Jonathan Cutajar (79′ Daniel Saliba), Julian Tonna (72′ Matthew Borg), Chris Abela, Gilbert Camilleri.
TARXIEN Anthony Curmi, Carlo Mamo (90′ Ryan Sammut), Fernando Lopez, Andrew Agius (50′ Everton Souza Santos), Luca Martinelli, Marko Potezica, Ronaille Calheira Seara, Carlos Menéndez Hevia, Karl Pulo, Steve Bonnici, Jorge Santos Silva (81′ Miguel Ciantar).
Referee: Marco Borg
At the Victor Tedesco Stadium, Valletta scored three in the first half-hour to beat Melita 3-1. Ryan Fenech put the Citizens ahead on the 4th minute and a brace by Lateef Elford-Alliyu on 23 and 28 minutes put them three goals ahead. Ivan Tufegdzic pulled one back for the Amateurs four minutes in the second half.
MELITA Philip Schranz, Luke Bianco (46′ Luke Sammut), Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho, Ivan Tufegdzic, Malcolm Mamo (57′ Tobias Terpougoff), George Gribbon, Michael Valenzia, Jose Jairo Cueto Rodriguez, Luke Micallef, Matthew Borg, Markko Hovi Kimmo (85′ Kurt Coleiro).
VALLETTA Matthew Bartolo, Jonathan Caruana, Ryan Fenech (76′ Steve Borg), Edmond Agius, Roderick Briffa, Raimi Bakare, Aziz Corr Nyang (76′ Ian Zammit), Shaun Bajada, Lateef Elford-Alliyu, Abdelkarim Nafti (79′ Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza), Luke Dimech.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant
Floriana beat Gozitan side Victoria Hotspurs 4-1 at the Sirens Stadium. Luca Casha put the Greens ahead on 18 minutes. Giacomo Favero doubled the score on 33 minutes but four minutes later, Andre Scicluna was sent off for Floriana. The Greens increased the lead on 47 minutes thanks to Igor Coronado and two minutes later, Luca Casha made it 4-0. Saturday Nanapere scored a consolation goal for the Hotspurs on 64 minutes.
FLORIANA Sean Mintoff, Andre Scicluna, Emmanuel Ibok Edet, Giacomo Favero, Christian Caruana (65′ Brooke Farrugia), Igor Coronado, Diogo Pinheiro de Sousa, Joseph Borg (67′ Sunday Eboh), Luca Casha, Gary Muir, Sacha Borg (81′ Darrell Baldacchino).
HOTSPURS George Vella, Dylan Mercieca, Jason Pace, Mark Muscat, David Camilleri, Daniel Farrugia, Saturday Nanapere, Michael Bezzina, Justin Agius, Warren Chircop (86′ Dylan Bellotti), James Farrugia.
Referee: Clayton Pisani
Sliema Wanderers defeated First Division side Zebbug Rangers 3-1 at the Centenary Stadium. Mauricio Omar Rodrigues Britto put Zebbug ahead on the 7th minute but Sliema equalised on the 15th thanks to Trevor Cilia. Mathias Muchardi put the Wanderers ahead on the half-hour. Eight minutes later, John Mintoff made it 3-1. Fifteen minutes from time, Paltemio Barbetti was sent off for Sliema.
SLIEMA Glenn Zammit, Alex Muscat, Jacob Borg, John Mintoff, Mark Scerri (86′ Axl Xuereb), Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Trevor Cilia (57′ Andrea Navarra), Pape Gueye (79′ Alessandro Rapino), Paltemio Barbetti, Matias Muchardi, Beppe Muscat.
ZEBBUG Justin Spiteri, Thomas Paris, Rodrigo de Barros Consani (71′ John Nwoba), Kenneth Scicluna, Lee Galea, Melvin Farrugia, Miguel Francica (85′ Sergio Hili), Ratko Mandic, Mauricio Rodrigues Britto, Douglas da Silva Silveira, Anderson Mendes Ribeiro (84′ Omar Rababah).
Referee Sandro Spiteri
Mosta defeated Lija Athletic 2-1 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. Gianmarco Piccioni put the Blues ahead on the 7th minute but Kiril Aleksandrov equalised ten minutes in the second half. However Piccioni scored again for Mosta when he converted a penalty on 76 minutes after Lija had Timothy Fleri Soler sent off.
LIJA Noel Attard, Timothy Fleri Soler, Dejan Vukovic, Ryan Sell, Daniel Scerri, Jean Paul Scerri (Matthew Fleri Soler), Predrag Babic, Beppe Antignolo (Fabian Zammit), Kiril Aleksandrov, Abdullahi Ige Adeshina, Clayton Giordemaina.
MOSTA Omar Borg, Kane Farrugia, Tyrone Farrugia, Ishmael Grech, Mano Micallef (Alex Cini)(James Brincat), Lukas Duriska, Ryan Grech, Jonas Rodriguez Ekani, Yuri Jesus Messias, Ricardinho Faria (Seydou Bamba), Gianmarco Piccioni.
Referee: Chris Lautier
The teams who qualify for the fourth round are therefore Premier League clubs Balzan, Birkirkara, Floriana, Hibernians, Mosta, Naxxar Lions, Qormi, Rabat Ajax, Sliema Wanderers, Tarxien Rainbows and Valletta; First Division sides Gzira United, Pietà Hotspurs, St. Andrews and St. Georges and Gozitan First Division side Kercem Ajax.
Fourth round draws are as follows:
St. Andrews vs Birkirkara, Kercem Ajax vs Rabat Ajax, Hibernians vs Pietà Hotspurs, Gzira United vs St. George’s, Floriana vs Naxxar Lions, Qormi vs Tarxien Rainbows, Sliema Wanderers vs Balzan and Valletta vs Mosta.
Matches are set to be played on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 January apart from the only fourth round match not to involve any Premier League club between Gzira United and St. George’s.