Birkirkara 1 Camenzuli 7;Qormi 2 Sammut 49; Thackray 84

Last year’s runners-up Qormi sprung the biggest in the U*BET Trophy as they progressed to the last 16 of the KO after beating high-flyers Birkirkara in an end-to-end encounter.

Seven minutes from referee Adrian Azzopardi’s initial whistle had elapsed when Ryan Camenzuli provided a reminder of his qualities as the former Malta U21 midfielder veered infield from the left after getting on the end of a through-ball by Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza before rifling past Steve Sultana.

Birkirkara’s early opener was a setback for Qormi and their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the U*BET FA Trophy.The Blacks’ false start left them chasing the game but AbubakerBello-Osagie’s agile movement and pace were causing Birkirkara all sorts of problems and on 16 minutes his powerful header from Luke Sciberras’s service crashed against the crossbar.

Birkirkara’s thin lead and Qormi’s potential powers of recovery made for a nervy Stripes’ closing exchanges during the first period.Just before the half-time whistle, the hard-working Mifsud Triganza went wide on the left flank to set up the ball towards Haruna Sholawho headed it goalwards only to gaze the upright.

Reprieved, Qormi earned themselves a tonic in the shape of free-kick just outside the Birkirkara box, five minutes after the break. British defender Kris Thackray’s teasing effort was pushed onto the post by Reuben Gauci with a magnificent one-handed save but the rebound fell kindly to Roderick Sammut who pushed the ball over the line.

Birkirkara had the ball inside the Qormi net just on the hour stroke but it was annulled by the referee for an offside position.Then, with seven minutes left and extra-time looming, Thackray popped up with the deciding move, Zarate swung in an inviting ball from theleft and the Englishman swivelled to lose his marker inside the box before his fierce left-footed effort sent the net bulging.