Għajnsielem FC 2
Victoria Hotspurs 0
Vella 56; Buttigieg 63
Għajnsielem
A. Parnis, Al. Xuereb, A. Agyeman, S.F. Bajada (De. Bogdanovic), K. Mercieca, K. Farrugia, M. Bezzina (J.G. Vella), J.A. Valencia, R. Buttigieg (K. Grima), S. Martinez Turizo, I. Nedeljkovic.
Victoria Hotspurs
D. Spiteri, J.M. Vella (S. Bajada), C. Mercieca, J. Pace (J. Tabone), A. Azzopardi (L. Grima), R. Ost Dos Santos, H. De Souza Maciel, D. Farrugia, O.G. Fernandes, S. Attard, P. Santos De Azevedo.
Referee:Philip Farrugia.
Yellow cards: Mercieca; Santos De Azevedo; Xuereb, Agyeman, Martinez Turizo, Vella, Fernandes, J.G. Vella.
Għajnsielem scored two goals early in the second half to see off fellow GFA Division One rivals Victoria Hotspurs to reach the last 16 of the FA Trophy on Thursday.
This was a match between two protagonists in this season’s title race in Gozo.
The Rabat side were looking to avenge the defeat suffered to the Blacks last month.
However, Għajnsielem showed their good form of late as they managed to fend off the Hotspurs’ pressure in the first half to take control of the match after the interval to secure a deserved qualification.
The Hotspurs looked on top in the first half but failed to make the most of the chances that came their way.
Their best chance came five minute from the break but Shaun Attard failed to find the target.
Għajnsielem took command of play early in the second period and opened the score on 56 minutes.
Victoria’s defence cleared badly a cross from the left flank and the ball fell to substitute Joseph George Vella who netted with a fine shot towards the far post.
The Blacks doubled their lead on 63 minutes through a header by debutant Rodney Buttigieg following a corner kick by Sebastien Martinez Turizo.
Victoria had two good chances to reopen the match. On 68 minutes a strike by Shaun Attard missed the target while seven minutes later Għajnsielem’s goalkeeper Adrian Parnis showed great reflexes to dispossess the goal-bound Christian Mercieca.
