Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/475084
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 MARCH 2015 35 Sport FOOTBALL Mosta ...........................1 Qormi. ..........................3 EDWARD FALZON QORMI managed to finally register a victory after 12 attempts, beating Mosta 3-1 to affirm their intentions to keep their Premier League status following the appointment of Mark Miller. Following this defeat, their third in four matches, Mosta have now placed themselves in dangerous wa- ters and are only three points above the drop zone. Qormi had a strong start to the game and forged ahead after two minutes when off a good pass from Alfred Effiong, January signing Alex Nilsson beat Mosta keeper Borg to make it 1-0. Mosta started to push forward in an effort to get back into the game and Ryan Grech, back from suspen- sion, almost scored a wonder goal as his thumping drive from just outside the area stamped against the bar. Three minutes into the second half, Qormi went close to doubling the score but Effiong concluded over the bar from the six-yard box. Borg then blocked Gustavo Villalo- bos's close-range effort. Mosta managed to draw level on 66 minutes when Ian Zammit served Roberts with a low pass, with the latter driving the ball into the net with a powerful effort. Qormi scored what had to be the winning goal on the 90th minute when Leighton Grech had no trou- ble to tap the ball home after a good run by Alfred Effiong. With Mosta shocked, Qormi put the game beyond any doubt when from a cross by Alfred Effiong, Mosta defender Ousman Koli in an attempt to clear the ball away, in- stead ended deflecting the ball into his own net. Mosta; Borg, Farrugia, Grech, Rob- erts, Magro, Falzon, Ossok, Koli, Ekani (Fotune 58'), Brincat (Zam- mit 56'), Nicoise (Pulo 83') Qormi; Farrugia, Lima De Mattos, Effiong, Gauci, Vella (Pisani 91'), Levnaic, Bondin, Berntsson, Villa- lobos (Portelli 95'), Grech, Nilsson (Edafe 72') Referee: Marco Borg Yellow Cards, Ossok, Oli, Effiong, Vella, Falzon, Levnajic, Roberts, Gerada Scorers, Nilsson 2', Roberts 66', Grech 89', Koli own goal 90+' BOV Man of the Match: Leighton Grech Birkirkara ................. 4 Sliema Wanderers. ..... 2 EDWARD FALZON FIVE goals were scored in the opening 23 minutes of the highly entertaining start to the match, and despite the Wanderers having had a player sent off, it was only late in added time that Birkirkara added a fourth goal to secure all three points, which keep them eight points behind Hibernians. Birkirkara went in front on the 4th minute when off a Zach Mus- cat free kick, the unmarked Ryan Camenzuli hit the ball past goal- keeper Glenn Zammit. Sliema quickly drew level on the 8th minute when off a cross from the left, Alex Muscat's first-time effort gave Haber no chance. The Stripes went in front once again on 14 minutes thanks to a free kick by Rafael Ledesma as despite Zammit's effort to fully stretch himself towards the ball it was not enough to stop Ledesma's effort from ending at the back of the net. Three minutes later, the score level once again as a direct free kick by the Italian Andrea Pisanu beat the Birkirkara goalkeeper. However Birkirkara regained the ead on 23 minutes as off a cross by Rafael Ledesma, Edward Herrera headed the ball into the direction of Ryan Camenzuli who beat the Sliema custodian with another header. Past the half hour mark into the second half, Paul Fenech made his way towards goal before fir- ing a powerful shot which was warded off by Zammit, in came Camenzuli who miscued the re- bound. On the other side, Mateus Ribeiro anticipated the onrush- ing Haber but dragged his effort just wide. On the 60 minute mark, Haber produced a smart save to keep out Pedrinho's free-kick. The Wan- derers were reduced to 10 men on 73 minutes after Marko Potezica tripped Rafael Ledesma. Deep into stoppage-time, with the Blues all out in search of the equaliser, including goalkeeper Glenn Zammit, Birkirkara scored the fourth and final goal thanks to Nassir Maachi. Birkirkara; Haber, Herrera, Vu- kanac, Mazzetti, Gonzaga (Bissi Da Silva 66'), Ledesma (Macchi 90'), Fenech, Z .Muscat, R.Muscat, Camenzuli (Zammit 77'), Zerafa Sliema; Zammit, A.Muscat, Ribeiro Dos Santos, Mintof f (Obagbemiro 78'), Scerri, Mif- sud (Frig gieri 85'), Pisanu, Gatt Baldacchino, Potezica, Calcado, B.Muscat (Cilia 33') Referee: Tristan Farrugia Cann Yellow Cards: Zerafa, Scerri, Fenech, R.Muscat, Red Cards: Potezica 73' Scorers: Camenzuli (B) 4', Muscat (S) 8', Ledesma (B) 14', Pisanu (S) 17', Camenzuli (B) 23', Macchi (B) 92' BOV Man of the Match: Ryan Ca- menzuli Mosta beaten to drop in dangerous territory Birkirkara beat Sliema in entertaining goal-fest Bradford and Reading in stalemate to force FA Cup replay FA Cup giant-killers Bradford City and Championship Reading played out a full-blooded 0-0 draw in their quarter-final yesterday to force a replay with a Wembley semi-final at stake. FA Cup giant-killers Bradford City and Championship Reading played out a full-blooded 0-0 draw in their quarter-final yesterday to force a replay with a Wembley semi-final at stake. Third tier Bradford, who knocked out Premier League leaders Chel- sea and Sunderland in a remark- able run to the last eight, domi- nated much of the second half but were unable to break down Read- ing's resolute defence. Despite living a charmed life, second tier Reading could have won it in the closing minutes when Oliver Norwood's looping free kick hit the post and caused havoc in the Bradford area. "It was just two teams going at it 100 percent in a proper cup tie and it was difficult for both sides I think," Bradford forward Jon Stead told BT Sport. "We're still in the hat but there's a little bit of disappointment because we've not got through. We (dominated) the second half so that we can take great credit from it but it's half a job so we've still got to do the busi- ness down there." With a heav y pitch making at- tacking play difficult both sides were content to hit speculative long-balls. Reading produced the first moment of quality when Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak 's well- struck shot cannoned off the post. Bradford carved out the next op- portunity when Gary Liddle's teasing deep cross evaded every- one before clipping the outside of the post. Stead, who had scored in each previous round, was Bradford's focal point after halftime as they continued to lay siege to the visi- tors' goal. The former Sunderland forward set up James Hanson to slide a shot inches wide before Andrew Davies's bullet header f lew narrowly over the bar. Read- ing brought on veteran Nigerian forward Yakubu in the closing stages and he was at the heart of Reading's best chance in the 85th minute. Norwood's hanging free kick struck the far post, prompt- ing a frantic scramble inside the area but Bradford cleared the dan- ger. Later on, Aston Villa beat West Brom for the second time in five days as they won 2-0 at Villa Park on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. Fabian Delph fired the hosts in front shortly after the break, while Brown Ideye and Joleon Lescott missed glorious opportunities for the visitors before Scott Sinclair wrapped the tie up late on. Both sides ended the night with 10 men as Claudio Yacob and Jack Grealish were dismissed for pick- ing up two yellow cards late on, before play was halted by a pitch invasion late on. But the result was already con- firmed and it caps a superb week for Tim Sherwood's men, whose victory over the Baggies in the Premier League on Tuesday lifted them out of the relegation zone. The hosts were hoping to use Tuesday's victory as motivation for their cup encounter, but it was Tony Pulis' men who had the bet- ter of the first half. Former Villa midfielder Craig Gardner battled to win the ball and rolled it into the path of Berahino, who drilled a low shot across goal to force a good save from Shay Given. Moments later the visitors should have taken the lead after Gard- ner was involved again, picking up Craig Dawson's pass and crossing low into the area, but Ideye could only blaze his first-time shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Villa had the odd spell of posses- sion as the likes of Fabian Delph and Chalres N'Zogbia tried to create something, but Sherwood's men regularly saw their attacks break down. Given was called into action again 10 minutes before the break as Brunt fired a speculative shot from outside the box, and it took a def lection off a team-mate before looping towards the target and forcing the goalkeeper to turn it over the bar. Improved Sherwood 's half-time team talk seemed to have the desired ef- fect as the hosts came out for the second half with much more am- bition, and six minutes in their efforts were rewarded. N'Zogbia picked the ball up on the right- hand side and squared it across the edge of the box, where Delph was there to meet it and hammer a powerful effort which zipped through Boaz Myhill's legs and into the net. Tony Pulis' men could – and per- haps should – have levelled it soon after, but Lescott could somehow only head wide from close range after Tom Cleverley f licked a West Brom corner across his own six- yard box. Yacob then got his marching or- ders for a second yellow card as he was penalised for a challenge on Bacuna, before Sinclair sealed the victory as he doubled Villa's lead on 85 minutes, picking the ball up off Grealish and cutting on to his right foot to fire a curling effort into the far corner. Substitute Grealish was then sent off in stoppage time as he also earned two yellow cards, the second for diving from the referee, but the result was already beyond doubt as Villa made it two wins over West Brom in a week. The end of the game was marred by a pitch invasion late on, but play quickly resumed and the fans charged back on as the final whis- tle went to confirm Villa's place at Wembley. Bradford and Reading could not find a way through