Lija Athletic, Mosta and First Division sides Pietà Hotspurs and San Gwann were the first four teams to reach the fourth round of the FA Trophy, sponsored by Boost Diesel, after emerging as winners in the four third round matches in programme on Friday.
Raphael Kooh Sohna was the hero for Lija Athletic as he notched a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Second Division side Kalkara at the Centenary Stadium.
Kooh Sohna put Lija ahead on the 8th minute and doubled the score two minutes from the end of the first half. Five minutes in the second half, Abubakar Bello Osagie converted a penalty and nine minutes later, Kooh Sohna sealed the issue with a fourth goal.
Two minutes from time, both teams had a player sent off – Aiden Galea for Lija and Matthew Schembri for Kalkara.
In the fourth round, Lija will be facing the winner of the clash between Swieqi United and Tarxien Rainbows.
LIJA Jonathan Martinelli (62’ Luke Attard), Predrag Babic (62’ Erjon Beu), Leon Muscat (54’ Adrian Caruana), Daniel Scerri, Aaron Sammut, Abubakar Bello Osagie, Ousmane Sidibe, Nigel Spiteri, Aiden Galea, McAllister Clinch, Raphael Kooh Sohna.
Subs not used: Carl Cassar, Joaquin Lores Varela, Djamel Leeflang, Dylan Agius.
Coach: Joseph GaleaKALKARA Mark Vella, Jesmar Briffa, Andrea Hammett, Julian Spiteri, Timmy Thomas (80’ Dale Valletta), Matthew Schembri, Julian Briffa, Beppe Antignolo, Leeroy Bonnett, Justin Felice, Matthew Cassar.
Subs not used: Matthew Camilleri, Chris Cuschieri, Reuben Vella.
Coach: Trevor ThomasReferee: Alan Mario Sant
Assistant Referees: Luke Portelli, Paul Apap
Fourth Official: Philip Farrugia
Ten-man Pietà Hotspurs needed extra-time to beat Second Division side Siggiewi 3-2 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.
Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa put the Hotspurs ahead after just three minutes but Eman Ciappara equalised on the 26th. Pietà had Quincy Bregman sent off on the 71st minute but the result remained unchanged at the end of the ninety minutes.
The game therefore went into extra-time and Gabriel Mensah restored the lead for Pietà ten minutes in the first half of extra-time. Trayo Grozev levelled matters three minutes later but substitute Jan Busuttil made it 3-2 on the 105th minute.
In the fourth round, the Hotspurs, who had defeated Pembroke Athleta 3-1 in the previous round, will be facing the winner of the clash between Valletta and Senglea Athletic.
SIGGIEWI Ryan Caruana, Eman Ciappara (97’ Jason Camilleri), Gillmore Azzopardi, Christopher Edafe Uzeh, Ian Darmanin, Andre Farrugia (105’ Luke Zahra), Edward Bugeja, Roderick Spiteri, Mauro Busuttil (80’ Jake Vella), Trayo Grozev, Mauro Brincat.
Subs not used: Neil Vassallo, Alessandro Ebejer, Shamison Farrugia, Ryan Muscat.
Coach: Saviour Debono GrechPIETÀ Miguel Montfort, Travis Bartolo, Juan Manuel Ruiz Perez, Christian Grech, Geoffrey Spiteri (63’ Jan Busuttil), Dylan Agius, Jordie Delia (69’ Clive Gauci), Neil Pace Cocks, Gabriel Mensah (105’ Ishaya Irimiya Jalo), Quincy Bregman, Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa.
Subs not used: Levi Saliba, Christian Degabriele, Rodney Grixti, Ayrton Mizzi.
Coach: Ramon ZammitReferee: Paul Toledo
Assistant Referees: Roberto Vella, Duncan Sultana
Fourth Official: Andrea Sciriha
San Gwann defeated Melita 3-0 in a clash between two First Division sides at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.
Following a goalless first half, San Gwann forged ahead nine minutes in the second half thanks to a penalty by Daniel Chavez Flores after Jan Tanti was brought down inside the area. Jan Tanti doubled the score on the 61st.
The Amateurs had captain Jean Pierre Attard sent off on the 70th minute with San Gwann sealing the issue with a third goal six minutes from time with another goal by Daniel Chavez Flores.
San Gwann, who had defeated St. George’s 2-0 in the second round, will be meeting Santa Lucia or Birkirkara in the next round.
SAN GWANN Andrea Camilleri, Andre Cachia (81’ Alan Borg), Andrew Abela, Kyle Gatt, Thiago Lopez de Souza, Mikas Kura, Daniel Chavez Flores (87’ Kurt Grech), Joao Claudio Kiala, Jan Tanti (77’ Josuael Azzopardi), Christian Gauci, Stacey Vella.
Subs not used: Manuel Bartolo, Ryan Zammit, Mario Andres Artieta Suarez, Nezar Fawzi Abouhaisa.
Coach: Stefano GrimaMELITA Nathan Charnock, Jean Pierre Attard, Julian Abela, Ryan Parrado, Miguel Galea (83’ Aidan Mizzi), Matthew Cassar (68′ Matthew Hammett), Emilio Cornago, Nicholas Bradshaw, Axl Xuereb (78’ Toraino Singleton), Luke Micallef, Matthew Groves.
Subs not used: Josef Spiteri, Nigel Rizzo, Luke Mifsud, Daniel Cutajar.
Coach: Andrea PisanuReferee: Shaun Calleja
Assistant Referees: Alan Camilleri, Chris Francalanza
Fourth Official: Slobodan Petrovic
In another match at the Centenary Stadium, Mosta defeated First Division side Mqabba 2-1.
Edison Bilbao Zarate put Mosta ahead on the 17th minute but Michael Borg equalised three minutes from the end of the first half. Tyrone Farrugia restored the lead for Mosta on the 66th minute.
Mosta take on the winner of the derby between Marsaxlokk and Zejtun Corinthians in the fourth round.
MOSTA Andreas Vella, Leonardo Henrique Ferreira (82′ Neil Frendo), David Fenech (59’ David Ifenayi Nworah), Kurt Magro, Davide Mansi, Tyrone Farrugia, Kyle Frendo (82′ Zachary Brincat), Edison Bilbao Zarate, Ivan Maric, Jonas Rodriguez Ekani, Godwin Blessing Henshaw.
Subs not used: Andy Attard, Liam Portelli, Jurgen Grech, Calvin Camilleri.
Coach: Johann SciclunaMQABBA Jonathan Debono, Rennie Tanti (67’ Gianfranco Micallef), Ratko Mandic, Noah Olawole Ojuola, Samuel Buhagiar, Michael Borg, Karl Cutajar, Tomislav Trebovac, Paul Chimezie, Gaetano Gesualdi, Brandon Muscat.
Subs not used: Brandon Debono, Shawn Darmanin, Kyle Azzopardi, Mark Baldacchino, Ryan Farrugia, Chris Cutajar.
Coach: Clive MizziReferee: Ishmael Barbara
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Peter Abela
Fourth Official: Glen Tonna