Saint Ebisindor hat-trick gives Amateur Cup to Mgarr

NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP FINAL 2023/24
28.04. 2024, Centenary Stadium
Kirkop United 2-3 Mgarr United

The fourth edition of the National Amateur Cup on Sunday afternoon was won by Mgarr United, beating Kirkop United by the odd goal in five after extra time. The Northerners had to dig deep after a modest first half, in which Kirkop dominated and deservedly took the lead. But eventually, Mgarr proved to be the better side, despite Kirkop’s late rally to send the game into penalties.

Kirkop opened well with a Zven Polidano on target grounder after seven minutes which was turned into a corner by Jacob Chircop St John. Kirkop kept on insisting and on 19 minutes, Chircop St John was called back into action, tipping a Neil-John Cutajar 20-meters scorcher into a corner. In the attack that followed, Kirkop took a justified lead through Giovanni Galea with a great shot from the edge of the box. Not much later, Galea missed a sitter with Matthew Attard turning his attempt into a corner. On 32 minutes, Cutajar served Ryan Dalli whose thunderbolt missed the crossbar by an inch. Two minutes later, Mgarr threatened for the first time with a Nicholas Schembri attempt, who failed to find target from a promising distance.

Mgarr, with the strong wind in their backs in the second half, equalised closed to the hour when Christian Saint Ebisindor was sent through, beating the on-storming Clive Caruana with an accurate grounder. On 61 minutes, Ryan Dalli could have kicked Kirkop ahead once more but found Chircop St John on his way, who also blocked Galea’s rebound. Jurgen Suda forced Caruana into an excellent block two minutes later, which the much-travelled shot-stopper turned into a corner.

On 67 minutes, the Northerners took the lead thanks to another Saint Ebisindor goal, who was the most alert at the second post to round off a diagonal Suda cross. Although Kirkop lost composure and looked down and out, on 78 minutes, Matthew Borg had an excellent run down the right, crossing towards Galea whose shot took a deflection and beat the Mgarr goalkeeper. On 85 minutes, Nestor Canas was sent down the right by Giorgio Bellia, but the Venezuelan livewire concluded weakly. Two minutes later on the other side, Saint Ebisindor’s lob over Caruana failed to find target in another great set-up by Mgarr.

Four minutes into stoppage time, Jurgen Grech send Saint Ebisindor through, who rounded the goalkeeper and into the empty net to give Mgarr a 3-2 lead. On the other side on 98 minutes, Chircop St John had to stretch into the corner to block a Galea header.  Kirkop were desperately looking for that equaliser but on 110 minutes, in a swift counter-attack, Jamie Lee Micallef served Saint Ebisindor who blasted high from an ideal angle in the six-yard box.

After the match, MFA General Secretary Dr Angelo Chetcuti handed over the medals to both teams and the Cup to Mgarr United captain Clayton Borg, the very first Knock Out Cup competition win in the history of the club.

Zabbar St Patrick won the previous two editions while the very first Amateur Cup in season 2020/21 was never played to an end due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Images copyright Joe Borg