STA LUCIA 3
Sena 55
Hulk 90
Mrdja 96
MĠARR UNITED 3
Ebisindor 38
Zammit 76, 101
(Mgarr win 4-3 on penalties)
It was a difficult night for Premier League side Santa Lucia as they succumbed to a defeat by penalties against Mġarr United.
The Saints had the opportunity to take the lead on 22 minutes when they were awarded a penalty, which, however, was missed by Abraham Temitope.
Mġarr punished their opponents for that miss as they took the lead through Christian Saint Ebisindor on 38 minutes.
Sta Lucia managed to draw level ten minutes into the second half through Lucas Silva.
But Mġarr refused to lie down and restored their lead when substitute JP Zammit put them back in front.
When it looked as though Mġarr had done enough to complete the upset, Sta Lucia equalised in the 97th minute through Brazilian striker Hulk.
In extra time, the Saints went ahead through Aleksa Mrdja but once again, Mġarr’s Zammit bagged his brace to level terms again and send the game to penalties.
From the spot, Hulk and Nicholas Schembri both scored their team’s opener.
Mġarr’s Gordon Saliba missed the second kick but Adam Bradshaw and Santiago Moracci both failed to score for Santa Lucija to hand the Amateur League side safe a passage into the quarter-finals.
STA LUCIA
C. Formosa, M. Ellul, A. Ogouvide (46 A. Bradshaw), O. Temitope (46 S. Moracci), L. Sena (114 J. Pisani), A. Mrdja, G. Virano, A. Piazza, P. Ramos (83 D. Letherby ), S. Xerri, E. Gomes (88 Hulk).
MGARR UNITED
J. Chircop St John, K. Farrugia, J. Camilleri, C. Borg (63 M. Bartolo), J. Grech (70 JP Zammit), J Suda (63 N. Schembri), M. Borg, A. Borg (99 K. Arai), C. Ebisindor, J. Micallef (63 G. Saliba), M. Attard (88 R. Camilleri).
Referee Ezekiel Barbara.
Yellow cards Camilleri, Ogouvide, Ramos, Xerri.
Missed pen Temitope (S) 22.
