Valletta and Pieta' Hotspurs play inaugural Challenge Cup Final on Sunday

2024/25 BOV CHALLENGE CUP
SEMI-FINALS
Zurrieq 2-3 Valletta
Valletta can start preparing for another Final as yesterday night at the Centenary Stadium, the Lilywhites obtained a hard-earned odd goal in five victory over ten-men Zurrieq, with the winner arriving deep into stoppage time. It was a deserved win for the team of coach Thane Micallef however, in a rather one-sided game, especially after the red card early in the second half.

The first half was a slow-starter but developed into a real knock out battle with Zurrieq, surprisingly, going into the dressing rooms with a 2-1 advantage.

As expected, the Challenge League champions took the initiative from the start and in the ninth minute, Valletta took the lead when Jefferson Carioca headed home from an Andrei Ciolacu cross from the right. Four minutes later, Ciolacu blasted against the crossbar from an Andrea Zammit assist with the danger coming once more from the right flank.

Zurrieq, supported by a good number of faithfulls, deployed defensive tactics in the opening period and on 20 minutes, Zurrieq goalkeeper Jurgen Borg dived in the right place to stop an excellent long-distance drive of Jake Azzopardi.

Zurrieq’s first real threat arrived on 24 minutes from a fast break, when Mamadu Bah served Anderson de Barros in the box who could not convert with Timmy Aquilina clearly out of position. From the resultant corner however, taken by captain Shawn Darmanin, Glamour Eziefule rose high to equalise with a splendid header.

With three minutes regular time left, Bah was sent in the clear with Sheldon MacKay bringing the American striker down in the box with the referee in charge awarding a penalty. Bah stepped up himself but Aquilina blocked his 11-meters attempt, with Bah blasting home the rebound himself.

In stoppage time on the other side, Borg did well to parade a Ciolacu attempt with Zammit incredibly failing to find target from the rebound.

The second half was barely five minutes old when Zurrieq were reduced to ten, with Xylon Portelli receiving his second caution after a foul on Jefferson Carioca who was about to enter the box.

With Zurrieq now completely retreating, the sending-off resulted into a one-sided confrontation. On 68 minutes, Zerafa cleared the ball from the goal-line from a close-range Scicluna attempt, which initially proved to be one of the very few on-target attempts however, as Valletta initially failed to transfer their numerical superiority into goals, only threatening with a few off-target attempts from outside the area.

But the equaliser was there on 83 minutes when substitute Jacob Walker blasted home from close-range, after a Jefferson Carioca cross created havoc in the Zurrieq defence. The winning goal was scored deep into stoppage time through Enoch Mushagalusa, another substitute who, quite similarly as the equaliser, managed to stab home from another goalmouth melee’.
 


Tarxien Rainbows 1-2 Pieta’ Hotspurs
The second Semi-Final yesterday evening was target for Pieta’ Hotspurs who deservedly managed to beat promoted Tarxien Rainbows 2-1, both goals from penalties, with Rainbows scoring a late goal to make the score-line more acceptable.

To be fair, after a balanced first half, the match could have gone either way at the Centenary Stadium but the sending-off of Miguel Azzopardi ten minutes after the break proved to be the killer-blow for the Rainbows. Coach Jacques Scerri kept on steering his side forward but were clearly running out of energy towards the end.

The opening 45 minutes were rather balanced with chances on each side. Tarxien created an opportunity on 13 minutes with Claudio Murici doing well to send Jurgen Debono in the clear but Reeves Cini was on the alert to come out of his goal to clear the danger.

On the other side on 26 minutes, Miguel Azzopardi brought down Zean Leonardi in the box with the referee pointing at the spot. Brother Kian stepped up and kicked the ball convincingly through the middle to give Pieta’ the advantage.

Just after the half-hour mark, Miguel d’Alessandro brought the best out of Cini with a rising shot which the Hotspurs shot-stopper turned into a corner.

Three minutes after the re-start, Tarxien nearly equalised when Claudio Murici found Dacosta Boadu, whose header went inches over the crossbar. On 55 minutes, Artur Felippe had a wonderful chance to double for Pieta’ with a shot on the turn but the nippy Brazilian missed target. In the same action, Tarxien defender Miguel Azzopardi was shown a second caution for protesting and received his marching orders.

Just after the hour, Pieta’ substitute Emmanuel Bio produced a long-distance scorcher which beat Vella but hit the crossbar.

Despite Tarxien being a man down, the match remained an open contest with both sides creating chances. On 71 minutes, a D’Alessandro header from a corner action went inches over the crossbar. Five minutes later, the team of coach Manuel Caruana were awarded another penalty, this time when Matthew Xuereb brought down Bio in the box. Arthur Felippe stepped up and coolly converted to double.

In the dying minutes, Pieta’ kept their concentration with even Kaydon Catania missing an opportunity to score the third one for the Hotspurs. Deep into stoppage time, Tarxien scored a consolation goal thanks to a direct free-kick by Conor Borg. There was however no more time left for a Tarxien rally which means Pieta’ will play the Final of the inaugural Challenge Cup on Sunday at the Centenary Stadium, kick off 16h.

Images Zurrieq v Valletta copyright Jonathan Caruana
Images Tarxien Rainbows v Pieta' Hotspurs copyright Joe Borg