Wasiu leads Greens into next round

Floriana 4
Akanni-Wasiu 28, 80; Caruana 72; Darmanin 87
San Ġwann 0

Sunday Akanni-Wasiu propelled Floriana into the second round of the FA Trophy after scoring a brace in a comfortable 4-0 win over San Ġwann at the Centenary Stadium, yesterday.

Floriana were the last Premier League team to reach the second stage of the competition but their progress was never in question as they were streets ahead of San Ġwann who, for all their running, never gave the impression that they could bridge the gulf in class.

The likes of Orosco Anonam, Donovan Simmonds, Julian Briffa and Joseph Borg were left out of Floriana's starting formation as coach Roddy Collins chose to refresh his team.

Ryan Darmanin and Akkani-Wasiu formed a two-pronged attack as Collins set his team out in a 4-4-2 formation.

Joe Brincat, San Ġwann's team manager, chose a 4-5-1 approach with Steven Pisani deployed as a lone striker. Christian Caruana lined up against his older brother Mario who plays in defence for San Ġwann.

After a tepid opening, Floriana gradually began to exert more pressure on their Division One opponents.

On 11 minutes, Akanni-Wasiu made good progress on the left before sending in a low cross that seemed destined to reach Darmanin in the box but Chris Cuschieri slid in to flick the ball away for a corner.

Minutes later, Collins was forced to make his first substitution as Clifton Ciantar was unable to continue after picking up an injury. His place was taken by Simmonds whose first notweworthy contribution was to deliver a swinging cross from a free-kick. Brian Said got on the end of the assist but his header was saved in two attempts by keeper Jean Matthias Vella.

All roads seemed to lead to the Saints' box at this stage as Floriana continued to push forward.

Akanni-Wasiu pounced on a miscued clearance and drilled a low shot past the diving Vella but the ball rolled against the base of the far post.

Vella was then solely responsible for preserving the stalemate when pushing away Pablo Doffo's screamer from outside the box.

San Ġwann's resistance was broken on 28 minutes.

Marlon Briffa arrowed a dangerous cross from a corner and Akanni-Wasiu rose highest to head the ball past Vella.

Floriana were in the driving seat but they seldom threatened to translate their supremacy into a second goal.

It was not before the dying minutes of the opening half that they went close to doubling their lead but Said's downward header from Doffo's free-kick whistled past the post.

Three minutes into the second half, Briffa's long pass from midfield seemed to pose no danger for San Ġwann but as Neil Curmi and Lee Cumbo got in each other's way, the ball fell to Akanni-Wasiu inside the box. He looked a certainty to score but his effort was pawed away by Vella.

The Greens almost paid dearly for this glaring miss as in an isolated breakaway Bonett weaved his way through before squaring to Pisani whose close-range flick brought a fine tipping save from Bernard Paris.

The Greens' struggles to extend their lead seemed to enliven San Ġwann who suddenly began to move the ball around with more intent.

But, any hopes the Saints may have had of clawing back the deficit evaporated when, with 18 minutes left, Floriana struck their second goal.

Simmonds's free-kick landed in the goalmouth where the nippy Caruana stormed past his brother Mario before hitting low into the far corner of the net.

With 14 minutes remaining, Wasiu teed up Doffo but the Argentine's grounder finished wide. Vella then denied Floriana a third goal when palming away Wasiu's attempt from Simmonds's cross.

Buoyed by their second goal, Floriana persevered with their attacking momentum. Wasiu's header from Briffa's corner came off the woodwork and Darmanin lifted his shot over from the rebound.

Wasiu did notch his second 10 minutes from time when he finished off a powerful run with a well-hit strike after Caruana's superb pass had split the San Ġwann defence.

Three minutes from the end, Floriana made it 4-0, Darmanin blasting the ball home from close in after Vella had parried away Wasiu's drive.

Floriana
B. Paris, D. Pisani, O. Bugeja, B. Said, P. Doffo, M. Briffa ('82 J. Brincat), L. Agius ('67 J. Borg), S. Akanni-Wasiu, R. Darmanin, C. Caruana, C. Ciantar ('13 D. Simmonds).

San Ġwann
J.M. Vella, C. Giordemaina, M. Caruana, N. Curmi, L. Cumbo, A. Borg, C. Cuschieri ('37 V. Brincat), R. Sell ('26 L. Bonett), F. Aboulezz, C. Gatt ('82 R. Sammut), S. Pisani.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Agius; Aboulezz; Briffa; Giordemaina.