Valletta 2 Barbosa 3; Tourè 25; Nadur Youngsters 0

Two early goals were enough for Valletta to reach the quarter-finals of the U*Bet FA Trophy after the Premier League leaders outclassed their Gozitan counterparts at the Centenary Stadium.

The game was over as a contest inside the opening 25 minutes, the time it took Valletta to surge into a comfortable two-goal lead.

The game had barely started when the Nadur Youngsters rearguard sent Demba Tourè crashing to the ground. The free-kick was awarded in William Barbosa’s territory. The Brazilian let fly a delightful eight-foot strike that bent viciously away from Mark Grima’s despairing dive in what was one of the quickest U*BET Trophy goals this season after just 2.40 seconds.

Nadur did not fold and threatened to level on the quarter of the hour mark. Claudio Antunes’s effort from just outside the area skimmed the crossbar. A few moments later, Antunes turned provider with an inviting cross and Sandro Muller’s point-blank header drew a smart save from Bartolo.

But if the Youngsters had their chances to grab the equaliser, Grima’s goal was breached again after 25 minutes. From a corner, Dyson Falzon picked out Bogdanovic with his cross. The former Mosta player’s header laid the ball into the path of Tourè and the French striker struck with another header that arrowed into the bottom corner.