Floriana 1

Sliema W  1

(after extra time, 5-6 after penalties)

This was very exciting and entertaining game watched by a sizeable crowd at Luxol Ground.

Both sets of players gave their all by playing attractive football with no team dominating the other as both sides had their very good moments.

In Floriana’s first chance Martin Caruana served Mauro Sultana with a cross from the right and the ball thumped the bar from his hard drive from outside the area with Sliema keeper Matthew Attard beaten.

In the 11th minute Caruana served Corbolan with a cross from the right and the ball was cleared on the line following his hard effort.

At the other end, Mercieca served Aiden Friggieri in the area and after Gauci partly saved his shot, the ball was cleared away. 

Floriana created two more chances between the 19th and 22nd minutes. Caruana dribbled past an opponent on the right flank who then crossed to Sultana in the area and Attard foiled him with a timely sortie.

Corbolan then served Caruana with a square pass and Attard saved his shot from outside the area.

Minutes later Friggieri entered the area after beating a defender but his shot went slightly wide.

After Sultana was fouled on the left edge of the area Cipriott drove slightly over the bar from the free kick and in the last action before the break Mercieca dribbled past a defender but he missed Floriana’s upright from outside the area.

In the first action after the restart Dillon Darmanin entered the area after beating a defender and Attard dived at his feet and smothered the ball. Then substitute Kenneth Bonnici’s dangerous cross-shot from the left was neutralised by Gauci.

The Greens created two further chances. Sultana outsped a defender on the left flank and after the ball was partly cleared from his cross, Corbolan drove out from the rebound.

Later Conor Borg passed the ball to Corbolan and Attard saved his effort from outside the area.

Sliema reacted and when Omar Xuereb was fouled outside the area,  Mercieca drove over the bar from the free kick. Friggieri then dribbled past an opponent but Gauci saved his effort from outside the area.

Sliema opened the score in the 59th minute as substitute Andrea Martinelli served Friggieri in the area who scored with a low shot. Hardly a minute later Gauci had to dive at the same player’s feet to smother the ball after he had entered the area.

Floriana kept trying to save the game. Sultana crossed the ball in the area from the left flank and the ball was cleared to a corner which was well taken by Corbolan and after the ball was partly cleared Sutana drove out from the rebound.

In the third minute of added time Floriana equalised as they won a corner kick on the left flank which was taken by Corbolan and Conor Borg headed the ball in to make it one-all.

Extra time had to be played to decide the winner. Very few were the actions during the 30 minutes of extra time and the score remained unchanged.

Penalties   

Friggieri, Mercieca, D’Agostino, Meli and Cassar scored for Sliema. Corbolan, Conor Borg, Caruana and Azzopardi scored for Floriana and Attard saved on Spiteri.

The final between St Andrews and Sliema W will be played today at Luxol Ground kicking off at 6.30pm.