Zabbar end season in style by winning the Amateur Super Cup

The 2021/22 MFA Amateur season came to an end last Saturday with the Amateur Super Cup match between NAL winners Zurrieq and Amateur Cup winners Zabbar St Patrick. It was an entertaining match at the Centenary Stadium, which had to go into extra time with eight goals, four on each side. Eventually, Zabbar took the penalties better to give them their second silverware within a week.

Zabbar started on the front foot and scored first as in the third minute Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza cut the ball back to David Oliveira inside the box who scored with a tap in into an open goal. In the first half, after Zabbar’s early goal, Zurrieq reacted well and were the team who created most chances and pressured the Zabbar rear guard into their own half. In the 31st minute, Zurrieq scored to equalise, when Giovanni Galea won the header from a good cross from the right-hand side to make it 1-1. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Zabbar regained the lead when a poor clearance from a Zurrieq defender came into Kyle Tanti’s feet on the edge of the box, who’s shot finished into the top corner.

The match continued to keep both supporters side’s on their toes and on 58 minutes, Andre Joe Cutajar equalised for Zurrieq after two attempts at goal. Two minutes later however, Zabbar scored their third after a goal mouth scramble was finished by David Oliveira. In the 67th minute, Zurrieq equalised once again after yet another goal mouth scramble which was this time finished off by Ivan Bojovic, who was sent off with a straight red card after the goal due to his excessive celebrations in front of the Zabbar bench. For the remaining minutes of the game, Zabbar tried to force a winner but somehow Zurrieq managed to hold strong.

But five minutes into extra time, Zabbar went into the lead yet again with David Oliveira completing his hattrick after the Brazilian scored from the rebound after his initial effort was blocked. With the man down, Zurrieq’s task looked quite impossible but in the 112th minute, Cutajar produced a spectacular goal when he flicked the ball up and volleyed the ball home to send the game into a penalty shoot – out. Zabbar took the penalties better, finishing off their season in style.


Images copyright Stephen Gatt