Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/463339
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2015 33 Sport FOOTBALL SPORTTODAY Birkirkara ease past Hotspurs to reach semi-finals Birkirkara ................. 3 Pieta Hotspurs .......... 0 EDWARD FALZON BIRKIRKARA are the last team to join Valletta, Hibernians and Qormi in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy after easily beating fellow Premier League side Pieta Hot- spurs 3-0 yesterday afternoon. Debutant Nassir Maachi was an instrumental figure in Birkirkara's emphatic win, with the Dutch for- ward hitting twice against a very poor Pieta side. In fact, Maachi came very close to opening his account just after 30 seconds from the start when the Dutchman's angled shot deceived the Pieta keeper with the ball hit- ting the post. On eight minutes Birkirkara went close again when Zach Mus- cat sent in a low cross that rolled across the penalty area, finding midfielder Edmond Agius who hit the ball high. On 12 minutes Birkirkara opened the score, this time with Nigerian Shola Shodiya being involved in the play as his inviting cross was superbly met by Maachi to head the ball into the net. Pieta tried to produce a rare of- fensive play through Claudio Frances, but his low strike was eas- ily turned into a corner by Justin Haber. From the resulting corner, Birkirkara defender Scicluna al- most put the ball into his own net after miscuing his clearance, with the ball ending closely past the up- right. The Hotspurs improved as the first half progressed with the usual creator, Claudio Frances hitting a through-ball to the advancing Christian Grech on 33 minutes but the defender's low effort was saved by the alert Haber. Before the break, Pietà 's Ricardo Costa veered infield from the left but his central drive was again saved by Haber. Twelve minutes into the second half, Camenzuli ran into the box after being spotted in by Maachi but his adventurous cross-shot skimmed the crossbar. Maachi then darted past Grech before arrowing a fierce shot that sailed wide of the far post. Birkirkara continued to produce the better chances and on 64 min- utes Nikola Vukanac headed wide from close range and closely after Shodiya was denied by the post through a powerful header. The Stripes however managed to increase their lead 14 minutes from the end when Herrera slid a ball to Haruna who passed on to an unmarked Maachi to put the ball into the net. Maachi was denied a hat-trick on his debut by the woodwork after the Dutchman had connected with Zach Muscat's headed assist with the ball going off target. Substitute Kurt Zammit secured Birkirkara's win as the youngster raced into the box from the left and placed his shot past Cassar for a final score of 3-0. Birkirkara - Haber, Scicluna (Her- rera 70'), Vukanac, Latini Mazzet- ti, Shola Shodiya Haruna, Ahmed Maachi (Zammit 80'), Fenech (L. Muscat 87'), Z. Muscat, R. Mus- cat, Camenzuli, Agius Pietà H. - Cassar, Attard, Grech, Fortunato Dos Santos, Pisani, Anonam (Agius 46'), Cesare (Pace Cocks 76'), Rodrigues Da Silva, Nnamaeka Newuche (Joao Gabriel Da Silva 66'), Frances, Ricardo Costa Referi - George Kruashvili (GEO) PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE BORG Maachi marks debut with two goals Birkirkara easily advanced to the semi- finals with their victory over Pieta