Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/404410
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 51 Sport FOOTBALL MOTORSPORTS Roma draw at Sampdoria, Parma lose fifth in row AS Roma, thumped 7-1 at home by Bayern Munich on Tuesday, pulled themselves together to secure a goalless draw at Sampdoria on Saturday while Parma sank to their fifth Serie A defeat in a row, losing 3-1 at home to Sassuolo PARMA are bottom with three points from eight games, a dra- matic downturn from last season when they exceeded expectations by finishing sixth. Sassuolo, who had previously scored only four goals this term, managed two in the first 24 min- utes when Sergio Floccari was left unmarked to head in and Franc- esco Acerbi touched the ball home from close range following a free kick. Saphir Taider effectively sealed Sassuolo's first league win of the season with a long-range strike after halftime before Antonio Cassano pulled one back for the shellshocked hosts. "We have lost seven times, I can't be happy. We will get out of this situation with work," Parma coach Roberto Donadoni told reporters. "We made it too easy for Sassuo- lo," added the former Italy boss. "We cannot afford to keep making errors and when we do make them it affects us psychologically." Roma, who pulled level on 19 points with leaders Juventus, failed to score for the first time this season but will have been happy just to have kept a clean sheet against unbeaten Sampdoria following Tuesday's Champions League mauling. The visitors had the better of the match as Gervinho struck the post in the first half and Alessandro Florenzi 's header was brilliantly saved by Sergio Romero in the second. Stefano Okako missed Sampdo- ria's best opening when he fired over from two metres as a free kick landed at his feet. Cagliari scored four goals in 15 minutes before halftime to win 4-0 at promoted Empoli. Marco Sau curled the ball in from the edge of the area in the 31st minute, Danilo Avelar scored twice, the first a thumping free kick off the underside of the bar and the second a penalt y, before Albin Ekdal struck with a deter- mined, individual effort. Juventus should again move clear at the top when they host third from bottom Palermo today. ASMK riders to participate in the President's Bike Ride today THE 'Assocjazzjoni Sport Mu- turi u Karozzi' last Sunday held a number of Championship events in different locations – the Auto- cross and Trials were races in the ASMK Pasta POIATTI 2014/15 Championships. The main activity at Ta' Qali com- plex was for Autocross cars while the Trials held their competition at the Blokrete Ltd quarry in Naxxar. The Motocross Pre-Championship race was held in Nadur. 29 cars registered for the Auto- cross event at Ta' Qali, of which six competitors were from Gozo. Philip Joe Vella on Opel Nova won all the three heats on the day thus he secured his place on the Class A Starting Grid. Other drivers who qualified in this class were Vince Farrugia on VW Polo, Christian Mark Galea on a Fiat Ritmo, Andrew Pisani and Josef Abela both on Opel Nova, Melo Zammit on his new Opel Corsa. From the start of this final we saw Vella take the helm right to the end. Vella was followed by Pisani and Farrugia who defended their positions to the Finish Flag. Abela placed fourth followed by Galea who had to retire before the race finised. The final Class B included God- win Martin, Manuel Muscat and Matthew Borg all on Opel Corsa, Keith Borg on his Opel Nova, Philip Grima on Ford Escort and Lucas Pace on Honda Civic. From the start of this final we saw Mar- tin take the helm of this close race who was followed by Mus- cat and Borg. They also repeated what happened earlier in the final of Class A. Borg and Grima were driving some distance back while Pace retired from the race. A look at what happened in Gozo, where 24 competitors took part in the pre-Season Race on the ASMK prepared and modified Motocross track. Usually, this pre-Champi- onship race is held at the ASMK Sports Complex at Ta' Qali. Class- es consisted of Championship rid- ers and another class for Beginners to Motocross. Class A rider Paul Muscat on his KTM dominated this class, he won all the heats of the day and was de- clared overall winner. Muscat was followed by Clayton Camilleri in each of the heats also on a 250cc KTM motorcycle to finish the day in second place. Edward Ciantar on a Kawasaki battled with Honda rider Trevor Muscat. His struggle for third place succeeded in the last heat as Ciantar persisted to finish the last race ahead of Trevor Muscat. In Class B the riders were divided into two groups where the best five of each group qualifies for the final ten riders. These were Godfrey Bigeni, Matthew Vella, Daniel and Kyle Camilleri, Keith Bugeja, Etienne and Joseph Bigeni, Charles Borg, Matthew Mercieca and Joseph Hili. From the start of this Final Race the Bigeni brothers took the first three positions at the helm of the race. Etienne on his Honda kept on the race front followed by Joseph on the Suzuki and Godfrey on another Honda. They remained in this position till the end which took the all Gozo Bigeni riders to the podium. Fourth place was won by Joseph Hili on his Honda while fifth place was won by Matthew Mercieca on his Kawasaki. An Overview of the Trials in Naxxar, saw 11 riders taking part in this non-speed competition, where the competitor's technique of Tri- als riding is battled among skilled and novice riders. Six (6) sections were specially prepared to demon- strate the skills of each competi- tor, based on the riders' ability over obstacles where penalty points are earned for making mistakes. In Class A we saw Damon Bonel- lo on Gas Gas motorcycle who dominated the rest on the day where he rode all sections with just 10 penalty points. He was fol- lowed by Gary Debono on Sherco motorcycle finishing with 36 pen- alty points. Third place was won by veteran Robert Caruana on Gas Gas who closed the day with 37 penalty points. Class B saw several riders tak- ing part for the first time. Joesph Scicluna on Gas Gas motorcycle dominated the class and finished with just 10 penalty points. Joseph was followed by Bernard Sammut on Beta who finished the day with 23 penalty points. Third place was won by Manuel Camilleri on a Gas Gas motorcycle who closed the day with 24 penalty points. An ASMK Enduro Team com- posed of Mathieu Salomon and Andrew Cassar both riding KTMs were in Sicily last Sunday when they competed in a special Endu- ro race based on a Circuit where the competitors ride in pairs as a Team. Both bikes of Mathieu and Andrew have the same number and while one is riding on track the other competitor is in the paddock where he re-fuels and maintains his bike as well as have some rest. When the competing rider decides to return to the paddock, the other rider continues the racing. The Malta Team finished a very decent seventh place out of 17 teams on track which lasted five hours and was the first ever Enduro of its kind for the Malta riders. Meanwhile the association will continue its commitments today Sunday, when ASMK Motocross and Enduro riders will be taking part in the 1st "President's Bike Ride" for Motorcyclists. ASMK members are expected to ride from ASMK Sports Complex at Ta' Qali to San Anton Gardens by 9am to join the road bikes in this Bike Ride. They will be escorted by traffic police to San Anton. This "Presi- dent Bike Ride" is 62 kilometers long and ends at the ASMK Sports Complex at Ta' Qali. A special Mo- tocross, Enduro and BMX show will take place after the Bike Ride. Daniel Caruana