Melita win Under 17 Knock Out semi final
An action‐packed game watched by a big crowd at the Mosta Ground. Melita were the better outfit as they were more accurate in their passing and also solid in their midfield sec‐ tor which the St Andrew for‐ wards found very hard to penetrate .
Melita created the first two ac‐ tions. Danmiel Pawley was fouled outside the area and the free kick by the same player was cleared away and the same player then released Andreas Vella on the edge of the area and after his shot was deflected by a defender was saved by St An‐ drew keeper Jake Spiteri.
Two action were then created by St Andrew as Ethan Brincat Winters was fouled on the left flank and from the free kick by Gianluca Cauchi, Benjamin Bonello Ghio was served in a good position in the area but was ruled offside and after the latter was fouled outside the area the ball was cleared away following the free kick by Cauci.
Melita opened the score in the 18th minute. Noah Azzopardi released Pawley in the area and after Spiteri partially saved his shot Paolo Grech was on hand to score from the rebound, and three minutes later St Andrew came very close to level matters as from a well‐taken flag by Cauchi which created havoc the ball was cleared on the line by a defender, few minutes later Adam Vella entered the area after out‐speeding a defender and Sam Calleja was forced to dive and save to corner his hard low drive.
Four minutes before the break Melita were denied by the woodwork as the ball thumped the bar with Spiteri beaten after a hard drive by Azzopardi after he was served with a cross pass in the area, and at the other end Bonello Ghio was fouled outside the area and the ball missed the bar by inches from the free kick by Adam Vella.
In the first action after the re‐ sumption St Andrew won a free kick as Jack Camilleri was fouled on the right flank and Calleja saved the ball from Cauchi's high ball in the area.
In the 53rd minute Melita dou‐ bled the score when Matteo Grech entered the area after out‐speeding a defender and as he was tripped the referee pointed to the spot and Jake Dalli made no mistake with a hard and high drive, and at the other end George Delia served Jack Camilleri with a cross in the area but Calleja saved his header and he did likewise min‐ utes later on the same player after a cross by Danilo Testa.
In a Melita action, Matteoe
Grech served Pawley with a square pass on the edge of the area and the ball missed the up‐ right from his shot.
In an effort to reduce the gap St Andrew mounted two ac‐ tions. Cauchi was fouled on the left flank and from the free kick by the same player the ball was headed away and Calleja saved a close range and feeble shot by Camilleri after being put through by Zaki Hathout.
St Andrew kept trying as they mounted the last two actions before the end.
Cauchi drove slightly over the bar from a corner kick and from another flag kick by Adam Vella the ball caressed the goalmouth but found no takers to apply the killer touch.
Melita: S. Calleja, (J. Sissons 46) K. Grima, (J.Naudi 79), D. Pawley, J. Dalli (M.A.Cassar 88), N. Az‐ zopardi, N. Grech (B. Gatt 88), A. Aquilina, A. Vella.
St Andrew: J. Spiteri, B. Gaerty, D. Vella, G. Delia, G. Cauchi, D. Testa (B. Borg 55), E. Brincat Winters (A. Borg 55), J.C amilleri, Z. Hathout, A. Vella, B. Bonello ghio ( L. Felice 76)
Yellow Cards: K. Grima, J. Dalli (Melita) E. Brincat Winters (St Andrew)
Referee: Mark Azzopardi
In the other Semi Final Paola Hibs won against Pieta with a second half goal scored by Daisler Vella. The Final will be played on Sunday 12 May.