Action from the St Andrew’s-Gżira match, yesterday. Photo: Stephen Gatt

St Andrew’s 1
Oseghale 73
Gżira United 1
Zammit 6;

(aet; St Andrew’s win 4-2 on pens)

A host of foreign players made their debut for St Andrew’s yesterday but it was young Maltese goalkeeper Jake Galea who stole the show.

Having effected some vital saves to deny Gżira in the preceding 120 minutes of play, Galea stopped two penalties, taken by Moises Avila Perez and Rene Louis Zome, to send St Andrew’s into the quarter-finals.

While the Saints, still without a point in the Premier League, showed progress, Gzira, the Division One leaders, only have themselves to blame as they spurned a series of glorious chances in the final minutes of extra-time.

St Andrew’s coach Josè Borg handed a debut to no fewer than six players, namely Spanish duo Enmy Pena Beltre and Jonathan Perez Cuestra, South Korean defender Won B. Che, Nigerians Francis Onwudinjo and Oseghale and Wisdom Salomon, from Benin.

Ian Zammit made his first start for the Maroons only hours after completing his move from Mosta.

Zammit took only six minutes to open his account for his new team as he pulled clear of his marker before drilling past Galea.

The game descended into a scrappy affair as Gżira looked content to sit back and operate with counter-attacks.

Four minutes into the second half, St Andrew’s should have equalised as Cuestra laid the ball to Salomon but his effort drew a fine save from Curmi.

Gżira broke on the counter through Zammit who surged past Beltre before hitting a low cross that was picked up by Gabriel Aquilina who rifled over.

The Maroons paid dearly for this miss as the Saints levelled minutes later thanks to Oseghale who sidestepped his marker before curling the ball past Curmi.

Little of note happened until the end of the regular 90 minutes, making extra-time inevitable.

Perez Cuestra unleashed a powerful shot but Curmi was alert. The veteran keeper was prominent again as he stopped a close-range header from Matteo Desira Buttigieg who met a measured cross from Beltre.

Gżira were still alive though. Zammit hit the base of the post after pulling clear on the counter. He was at it again moments later as he veered towards the centre but his piledriver brought a brilliant save from Galea.

St Andrew’s were on their knees. They survived a scare when Pace, lurking in the box, crossed for substitute Zome who stumbled as he was about to shoot.

Zome squandered another chance when hitting wide after being released by Scerri. Gżira thought they had won it when Zammit’s cross from the right sailed towards the unmarked Avila Perez in the box but his header was stopped by the diving Galea.

Zammit missed one final chance to put Gżira through as he fired high after getting on the end of Karl Pulo’s assist.

Penalty sequence
Farrugia (SA) scores 1-0; Avila Perez (GU) saved 1-0; Oseghale (SA) scores 2-0; Zammit (GU) scores 2-1; Che (SA) scores 3-1; Tonna (GU) scores 3-2; Grima (SA) saved 3-2; Zome (GU) saved 3-2; Desira Buttigieg (SA) scores 4-2.

St Andrew’s: J. Galea, E. Pena Beltre, D. Camilleri, W.B. Che, J. Perez Cuestra (119 K. Nwoko), S. Oproiescu (62 M. Desira Buttigieg), J. Farrugia, C. Onwudinjo, M. Johnson, W. Salomon (110 M. Grima), V. Oseghale.

Gżira: A. Curmi, D. Scerri, A. White, J. Pace, G. Aquilina (109 R. Zome), J. Bondin, I. Zammit, M. Avila Perez, S. Borg, B. Farrugia (65 K. Pulo), Y. Tonna.

Referee: Clayton Pisani.