Tarxien Rainbows 3
Marsa 3
(aet - Marsa win 4-2 on penalties)

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Young goalkeeper Jonathan Debono was the toast of Marsa yesterday after saving two penalties to earn his side a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy. Marsa scraped past Tarxien Rainbows 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw at the end of 120 minutes of football.

It was no surprise that penalties were needed to decide a winner as the final second round match turned out to be a thrilling, balanced contest between two teams who, despite playing in different divisions, matched each other throughout.

Ishaku Umoru's early opener suggested that Marsa, currently bottom of the Premier League standings, were in for a stroll. Tarxien, the Division One promotion seekers, had other ideas, though, and two quickfire goals in the space of a minute turned the match on its head.

Marsa slowly got back into the tie and regained the lead by half-time with two well-taken goals from Andrew Scerri and Diego Cucciardi.

After the break, Tarxien took control of proceedings in search of an equaliser and had various chances to pull level only to be denied by a string of fine saves from Debono.

Just as the match looked heading Marsa's way, the Rainbows hit a late equaliser to take the game into extra-time.

For most of the additional 30 minutes, both teams seemed willing to go through a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. Debono again starred in the one-on-one duels as he ably saved the shots of Jonathan Francica and Stefan Farrugia to hand his team a 4-2 win.

Although Marsa are unlikely to be harbouring hopes of success in the cup competition, yesterday's win should give them a good injection of confidence ahead of their upcoming Relegation Pool matches.

Marsa coach Edmond Lufi was forced to make do without injured duo Gilbert Martin and Nicky Fasinelli against a full-strength Tarxien side.

The match had an explosive start with four goals in the opening 24 minutes.

It was Marsa who drew first blood after only four minutes. Midfielder Cucciardi released Umoru and the Nigerian forward coolly planted the ball past the onrushing Sean Cini, the Tarxien goalkeeper.

Tarxien produced an instant reaction and they took just five minutes to restore parity.

Omar Grech rifled in a fierce drive that was only partially blocked by Debono. Tarxien defender Francica was the quickest player to react and duly blasted the ball into the net.

Tarxien were suddenly on top and barely a minute later, they were ahead. Alan Tabone controlled the ball just outside the area and unleashed a powerful drive that rolled past Debono to the delight of the Rainbows' clan.

Stunned by Tarxien's quick double Marsa pulled up their socks as they sought a quick equaliser.

Their pressure was rewarded on 24 minutes. Cucciardi again started the move by serving Victor Bellia on the right. The latter immediately squared the ball to Andrew Scerri whose close-range tap-in gave the diving Cini no chance.

The match remained entertaining with Nigerian Achokwu coming close to restoring Marsa's lead on 38 minutes but his fierce drive finished over.

That was the prelude to what was to come two minutes later when Bellia's cross from a free-kick found Cucciardi who headed the ball past Cini.

The Tarxien goalkeeper prevented his team falling two goals behind on the stroke of half-time when he somehow managed to keep out Scerri's strike with a fine save.

On the restart, Jesmond Zerafa looked to strengthen Tarxien's midfield when he sent on Farrugia in place of Steve Sadowski.

Tarxien were applying all the pressure in the second half and on 56 minutes, Debono had to be alert to fist away Grech's bold drive. From the rebound, Ryan Darmanin's volley was blocked by the Marsa goalkeeper.

A minute later, the Rainbows protested heavily for a penalty over an alleged handsball by Marsa defender Graham Bencini but referee Andre Arciola waved away their objections.

Twenty minutes from time, Francica went close to putting his team level when he was first to a Tabone corner but his header was too central to trouble the well-positioned Debono.

The Marsa keeper was again prominent two minutes later when stretching his foot to keep the ball out from a John Schembri header.

Marsa came agonisingly close to sealing the match nine minutes from time when substitute Warren Chircop tried his luck from the distance but his shot bounced off the bar.

That would prove to be an unlucky and costly miss for the Premier League strugglers as a minute later, Tarxien made it 3-3.

Grech charged his way through the Marsa defence before sending in a powerful drive that flew past a stranded Debono.

Chircop could have won it for Marsa in stoppage time when he found himself unmarked in the box but he was foiled by the timely intervention of Tarxien goalkeeper Cini.

In extra-time, both Marsa and Tarxien, fearful of conceding a potentially killer goal, adopted a prudent approach and the two goalkeepers were rarely called into action.

Thus penalties were to decide which of these two teams will advance to the quarter-finals.

Marsa scored all four of their opening penalties through Achokwu, Umoru, Kevin Scerri and Bellia.

Tarxien scored just two, through Simon Shead and Maczerob Okoro, as the shots by Francica and Farrugia were stopped by Debono who earned Marsa their second shoot-out win in the competition.

Tarxien: S. Cini, S. Sadowski ('46 S. Farrugia), M. Caruana, M. Micallef, J. Francica, O. Grech, A. Tabone, J. Schembri, P. Camilleri, M. Okoro, R. Darmanin ('67 S. Shead).

Marsa: J. Debono, G. Bencini, E. Yantchev, K. Cassar, K. Scerri, J.C. Achokwu, V. Bellia, D. Cucciardi ('59 S. Cutajar), J.P. Zammit ('106 R. Micallef), I. Umoru, A. Scerri ('73 W. Chircop).

Referee: Andre Arciola.

Scorers: Umoru 4; Francica 9; Tabone 10; Scerri 24; Cucciardi 40; Grech 82.

Yellow Cards: Achokwu, Camilleri, Farrugia, Francica.

Penalty sequence: Shead (T) scored 1-0; Achokwu (M) scored 1-1; Okoro (T) scored 2-1; Umoru (M) scored 2-2; Francica (T) saved 2-2; K. Scerri (M) scored 2-3; Farrugia (T) saved 2-3; Bellia (M) scored 2-4.