Shead hat-trick boosts Pietà's promotion bid

St Patrick 1
Pietà Hotspurs 3

Pietà Hotspurs bounced back from their upset to Dingli Swallows with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over St Patrick yesterday.

This defeat has dealt a severe blow to St Patrick's promotion hopes. On the other hand, the Hotspurs stayed firmly on course to regain their Premier League status as they top the league, level with Dingli on 27 points, with only four matches remaining.

Pietà might have forged ahead after only 40 seconds when Jean Landry Poulangoye's long cross into the Saints' area was headed away by Brandon Bonnici but the ball fell to Silvan Ciscaldi whose first-time effort was magnificently saved by David Cassar.

On 12 minutes, Ciscaldi had another central effort tipped away for a corner by Cassar.

Pietà's failure to convert their early chances was punished by St Patrick who scored against the run of play on 26 minutes.

Gary Inguanez's free-kick looked to have been saved by Ivan Cassar but the Pietà goalkeeper made a step backward and assistant referee Charlie Micallef signalled that the ball had crossed the line. Referee Kevin Azzopardi allowed the goal to stand despite Cassar's fierce protests.

On 34 minutes, Winston Muscat's team came close to doubling their lead, Roderick Briffa almost scoring with his knee from an Inguanez corner.

A minute later Pietà equalised when Simon Shead's run into the box was illegally stopped by Bonnici. Shead picked himself up to hit home from the penalty spot.

Two minutes before the break, Pietà goalkeeper Cassar pushed Inguanez's free-kick away for a corner. A fierce drive by Beppe Muscat finished just wide.

Eleven minutes into the second half, Pietà went ahead. Quilin Refalo's measured pass sent Shead clear and the former Tarxien hitman slotted the ball through Cassar's legs.

With 20 minutes left, Refalo just missed the target following a quickly-taken free-kick by Ciscaldi. Three minutes later, Pietà put their minds at rest when Shead tapped the ball into an empty net after a good move between Refalo and substitute Kevin Michael Robinson.

The Saints tried to produce a reaction but their efforts failed to trouble the Pietà defence.

St Patrick
D. Cassar, M. Pullicino, M. Fleri Soler, R. Briffa, D. Gatt, G. Inguanez, K. Formosa, A. Ellul (T. Caruana), P. Anizoba, B. Bonnici (I. Scicluna), B. Muscat.

Pietà Hotspurs
I. Cassar, C. Sammut, C. Spiteri, B. Sciberras, S. Ciscaldi, Q. Refalo (G. Goodlip), S. Shead (J. Delia), J.L. Poulangoye, D. Mifsud (K.M. Robinson), K. Cassar, S. Pace.

Referee: Kevin Azzopardi.

Man of the match: Simon Shead (Pietà).