Our Journey in the Meridianbet FA Trophy Ends Against Premier League Side Floriana F.C.

Our Journey in the Meridianbet FA Trophy Ends Against Premier League Side Floriana F.C.

Victoria Hotspurs 1 – 4 Floriana F.C.

Scorer: Ferdinando Apap 2′

Floriana FC had to recover from an early shock against lower-league side Victoria Hotspurs FC on Thursday, ensuring they make it through to the Quarter-Finals of the Meridianbet FA Trophy.

The Hotspurs were the ones to go ahead in the early stages, after they were awarded a corner in the second minute of the game. The ball was whipped into the penalty area, with Ferdinando Apap meeting it well to head it past Floriana’s Yann-Alexandre Fillion and give the Gozitan side a surprise lead.

However, the Greens regrouped and started to get more of the ball. They eventually got their equaliser in the 13th minute, after Jose Fernando Gomes Junior capitalised from some indecisiveness from the Hotspurs backline, and was left with an easy finish to make it 1-1.

Floriana were in complete control from that point on, and they had a number of chances to go in front in the first-half, yet they were being denied by some heroic goalkeeping from Victoria’s Adrian Parnis.

Victoria did have a golden opportunity to retake the lead midway through the first-half, when Kurt Borg’s shot was cleared from off the line by Floriana’s Guy Serge Cedric Yameogo.

At the break, the score was still 1-1.

Following the restart, Floriana looked like a completely different side, and the Greens were much more threatening whenever they made strides forward.

Elvis Mashike Sukisa gave them the lead in the 53rd minute after getting in behind the Victoria defence, slotting the ball past Parnis at the near post.

Floriana got another goal in the 69th minute, this time through Gabriel Agustin Sotomayor Cardozo, who was on the end of an excellent move from the Floriana attack.

The Greens’ win was sealed in the 82nd minute, when youngster Antiago De Flavia was left unmarked in the penalty area, and when the ball was fed to him from the left, he met it with an easy finish to make it 4-1.

Match Report by MFA Match Centre