Qormi 4

Valletta 3

Qormi beat favourites Valletta to reach their second U*BET FA Trophy final in three years in a thrilling match of see-sawing fortunes.

Their hero was forward Jorge Pereira. Yesterday he scored three of his side’s four goals, including a late winner to give Qormi a dramatic, but deserved, victory.

Valletta twice had to come from behind and even enjoyed a temporary lead in the first half, but were undone by Pereira’s late goal. Valletta’s hopes of a league and cup ‘double’ have once again eluded them.

Valletta fielded an offensive line-up with Terence Scerri given a start, flanked by Denni and Zongo and Mifsud behind them.

At times the darting runs of the Valletta forwards caused the Qormi rearguard some uncomfortable moments although for the first 20 minutes Qormi traded equal punches with their opponents.

Qormi were even the first to score. After only eight minutes, Caruana felled Pereira on the edge of the Valletta area to concede a free kick which Joseph Farrugia exquisitely put past keeper Hogg.

Valletta’s immediate response brought about their equaliser hardly 60 seconds later. Scerri persisted on the left and crossed at the far side for Edmond Agius to serve Denni Dos Santos who connected well to shoot past keeper Matthew Farrugia.

Valletta’s impicit superiority started to show towards the half hour. Denni played a deft one-two with Mifsud and accelerated dangerously inside area on the right, only to miss the target with his final shot. Then Edmond Agius failed to connect to Zongo’s testing cross from the left, before Denni crossed for Terence Scerrri to nip in behind Kouadio and head past the helpless Qormi keeper to give Valletta the lead on 33 minutes. Again, Barbosa tested keeper Farrugia with a central drive.

But Qormi refused to buckle under pressure. On 40 minutes, after good work by Pereira from the left, Bello-Osagie’s powerful shot was parried by keeper Hogg but the Qormi forward skied the rebound.

But on the stroke of halftime, Qormi were awarded another free kick from some 25 metres out. This time Jorge Pereira left keeper Hogg hooked to his line to draw level.

Qormi’s confidence blossomed after the restart, although Valletta went close with an early chance when Briffa’s cross from the right cut the entire Qormi defence and Zongo thumped his header against the foot of the post with the ball turned into a corner by the outstretched keeper.

Towards the hour, Jorge Pereira ran in for Joseph Farrugia’s through ball, outpaced Borg and slotted the ball past the onrushing Hogg to give Qormi the lead again.

Valletta needed immediate reinforcements and made a double substitution on 66 minutes, with Gilbert Agius going in for Barbosa and Zongo replaced by Alfred Effiong.

Although that changed nothing tactically, Gilbert Agius presence in midfield gave Valletta some required impetus.

In less than ten minutes, they won a penalty. Denni’s squeezed effort fell to Agius on the edge of the area and his shot was held out by Kouadio’s jutting arm. Denni Dos Santos beat keeper Farrugia from the spot kick and equilibrium was restored with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.

But the match reserved more drama as Qormi managed to score a dramatic winner with one minute remaining.

Jorge Pereira was again protagonist as he played the ball to Bello-Osagie and ran past Borg inside the Valletta area, for the return pass, to beat keeper Hogg.

Valletta were stunned and devastated. Deep into four minutes of added time, Mifsud was thwarted by keeper Farrugia, who tipped his rasping shot over the bar and into a corner to deny Valletta further progress.

Qormi: M. Farrugia, R. Sammut, M. Bartolo, J. Chetcuti, J. Farrugia, J. Bondin, J. Pereira (S. Wellman), K. Thackray, T. Caruana, A. Bello-Osagie (L. Sciberras), V. Kouadio (K. Scicluna)

Valletta: A. Hogg, J. Caruana, S. Borg, T. Scerri, I. Azzopardi, R. Briffa, E. Agius, D. Dos Santos, W. Barbosa (G. Agius), M. Mifsud, O. Zongo (A. Effiong)

Referee: T. Farrugia Cann

Asst.refs: I. Spiteri, A. Grech

4th official: C.Lautier

Scorers: J. Farrugia 8, D. Dos Santos 9, 79 pen, T. Scerri 33, J. Pereira 45, 59, 89

Yellow cards: J. Caruana, M. Bartolo, R. Sammut, V. Kouadio