GŻIRA UNITED 5

Conti 4, Cohen 19 pen, Reyna 70, 72, 80

PEMBROKE ATHLETA 1
Racic 65

Carlos Reyna scored a late hat-trick to halt Pembroke’s effort to stage a comeback.

Reyna tormented the Pembroke defence with his speed off the mark and his elusiveness and his late hat-trick was of natural consequence.

Gżira took off to a bright start when they forged ahead after barely four minutes when Gianmarco Conti rose unhindered to head in a calibrated corner-kick from Andrew Cohen.

United’s trident attacking formation, backed by Juan Corbalan and Carlos Reyna kept pushing Artim Shakjiri’s team on to the ropes.

That advantage was stretched to two goals after 18 minutes. Ige Adeshina took a ball on the three-quarter mark and advanced unhindered before he was pushed down in the penalty area by Andrea Scozzese. Referee Tristan Farrugia Cann pointed to the spot, and Cohen sent Calleja Cremona the wrong way to increase Gżira United's tally.

However, a false sense of security may have induced Gżira to slow down the tempo of their game and close down their ranks. Pembroke started pushing more forward in an effort to pull back the deficit. In the 65th minute, Racic curled a low free-kick home past the defensive wall and into the far corner of the net.

Gżira woke up from their slumber and sealed their success with a quick hat-trick by Uruguayan striker Reyna.