2 April 2024
GFA 2nd Division KO (S/final 2) Gozo Stadium
Victoria Hotspurs FC : 4
Sannat Lions FC : 0
72’ (1-0) Wellington Valentim De Souza
85’ (2-0) Shaun Attard
89’ (3-0) Wellington Valentim De Souza
90+1’ (red card) Paul Said (SL)
90+2’ (4-0) Lucas Farrugia
Victoria H:
R. Sammut, L. Grima, L. Farrugia, S. Attard, D. Farrugia, C. Grima, J. Grima, D. Mercieca, J. Tabone, J.G. Vella (E. Xiberras 89), W. Valentim De Souza.
Sannat L:
K. Attard, J.W. Meilak, K. Xuereb, E. Gauci, N. Grima (P. Said 80), D. Borg (A. Azzopardi 80), T. Agius (C. Dingli 90), C. Gauci, C. Buttigieg, B. Kanta, M. Gauci (J. Xerri 80).
Victoria Hotspurs confirmed their status as hot favourites to win all the honours of the second division this season as they won the place in the final of the Knock Out competition of the category with a 4-0 win over Sannat Lions in the second semi-final.
With this result Sannat missed another opportunity to register at least one win over the Hotspurs this season as in their previous matches so far, they were defeated three times, once in one in a match from the GFA Cup, once in the league match of the second round and the other one in the final of the 2nd Division Challenge Cup, while on two other occasions, one in the first phase of the Challenge Cup and the other match from the first round of the league, ended in draws.
This match between the two protagonists of the second division was once again well-contested. The Hotspurs found it very difficult to take control of the encounter until they broke the deadlock on 72 minutes of play. Sannat tried to produce a reaction in the remaining minutes but they were punished by their opponents as the Hotspurs scored three more goals to seal the qualification.
Photo: Anthony Cassar
Timeline:
Sannat came out in a better shape and held territorial supremacy during the opening minutes of the encounter. However, Sannat failed to create serious danger towards Victoria’s goal and as time passed by the Citizens came out of their defence and threatened Sannat’s rear guard on more than one occasion.
12’ Sannat’s goalie Kyle Attard was well placed and blocked a close-range attempt by Wellington Valentim De Souza.
18’ Sannat’s defence failed to clear the ball from their area and Victoria’s Lucas Farrugia headed toward an open goal but Nicholas Grima recovered in time and denied the Citizens from opening the score by clearing the ball to a corner.
19’ From the resultant corner kick by Joseph George Vella the attempt from close distance by Wellington Valentim De Souza ended just over the crossbar.
20’ Victoria’s Wellington Valentim De Souza had a good shot from outside the area but the ball ended wide.
34’ The Hotspurs were again dangerous through an attempt directly from a free kick that was saved with some difficulty by Sannat’s keeper Kyle Attard.
40’ Sannat went closest to score during the first half when Boubacar Kanta entered Victoria’s territory but his shot from a good position was blocked by Victoria’s goalie Richard Sammut.
45’ (crossbar) Victoria Hotspurs almost opened the score when Shaun Attard delivered the ball inside Sannat’s area from a corner action but an overhead kick by Lucas Farrugia was stopped by the crossbar and from the rebound the attempt by Wellington Valentim De Souza ended wide.
HT (0-0)
Second Half
The match continued to be well contested after the resumption but the two defensive departments were more focused and serious actions at the two ends of the field became rare. The turning point of the encounter arrived when the Hotspurs managed to put their heads in front as Sannat went all out in an attempt to recover the score but ended up conceding more space at the defence and compromised the possibility of extending the encounter to extra time.
5’ Victoria’s skipper Shaun Attard had a shot from outside the area but the ball ended high.
20’ Sannat could have capitalised better when Tristen Agius delivered a cross and Nicholas Grima came from behind the defence but his shot from an ideal position missed the target.
25’ Sannat’s goalie Kyle Attard was well placed and saved a shot from outside the area in two attempts by Victoria’s James Grima.
27’ (1-0) The Hotspurs opened the score when Wellington Valentim De Souza received the ball at an unmarked position on the right-hand side of Sannat’s area and concluded in goal with a low shot towards the far post.
40’ (2-0) Victoria Hotspurs made sure of the qualification by scoring the second goal that arrived following a prolonged action that ended with a low cross from the right by Lucas Farrugia which was converted with a shot on the run by Shaun Attard.
44’ (3-0) The Citizens kept insisting and added another goal when Shaun Attard’s cross from the right flank arrived at Wellington Valentim De Souza who passed by his direct opponent and concluded in goal from close distance.
45+1’ (red card) Sannat were reduced to ten players when Paul Said, who entered the field of play as a substitute, was sent off for a rough foul in the midfield.
45+2’ (4-0) The Hotspurs sealed the win with a fourth goal that arrived through an initiative by Shaun Attard, who crossed from the left and Lucas Farrugia placed easily in goal with a tap-in.
FT (VH 4 – SL 0)
Referee: Joseph Scerri
Asst. Referees: Paul Apap, Anthony Paul Vella
Photo: Anthony Cassar
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