Victoria Hotspurs Lift the BOV Amateur Cup

Victoria Hotspurs Lift the BOV Amateur Cup

Victoria Hotspurs 2 – 1 Qrendi F.C.

Scorers: 53′ Shaun Attard, 65′ Wellington Valentim De Sousa

After winning the Amateur League II, association newcomers Victoria Hotspurs added the Amateur Cup to their trophy cabinet earlier this afternoon, beating Qrendi by the odd goal in three in an entertaining Final. It was an over-all deserved win in another dominant display for the Gozitans, who were the better team on the day. However, Qrendi had their chances as well, especially at the end of the first half, wasting two giant opportunities to go into the half-time break with a lead.

For only the second time this season, after the FA Trophy game with Floriana in February, Hotspurs coach Oliver Spiteri chose to start with both Brazilians, Valentim Wellington on the right wing and centre-forward Rondinely Moneiro, leaving nearly 36-year-old defender Daniel Farrugia initially on the sideline.

Despite having played a tier lower than Qrendi this season, the Hotspurs started as favourites and created numerous goalscoring opportunities in the first part of the game. On eight minutes, Kurt Borg came inches close from a precise Matthias Said cross to open the scoring and three minutes later, Rondinely failed to empower his close-range attempt, resulting into a routine save of Qrendi goalkeeper Miguel Abela.

Abela did well on 13 minutes when Borg beat the off-side trap with the Qrendi custodian turning the on-target attempt into a corner. Rondinely, always reachable and playable, did well to advance down the right side the box on 17 minutes but saw his diagonal attempt go wide.

Qrendi, who were desperately trying to reach their forward line through Ayesller Carvalho, Gianfranco Micallef and Sterling Moran, eventually saw more of the ball after surviving this hectic opening period, but initially rarely troubled Adrian Parnis in the Hotspurs goal. On 25 minutes, Ayessler was sent in the clear but hesitated too long to pull the trigger, while the industrious Ayessler came again close once more four minutes later with an attempt from the edge of the area, a grounder which went wide.

On 40 minutes, after the Hotspurs produced two off-target attempts by Roderick Briffa and Rondinely, Qrendi had their best opportunity of the first half when Ayessler served the unmarked Brandon Bray, who found however Parnis on his way with an excellent save.

The Hotspurs broke the deadlock eight minutes after the break. A fast counter-attack unsettled the Qrendi rear-guard with initially Borg and Rondinely threatening before the ball ended up in the feet of Shaun Attard, whose grounder from the edge of the area had the better of Abela.

On 63 minutes, Qrendi equalised. Bray produced a wonderful run on the left flank shaking off Ferdinando Apap, with Ayessler serving Micallef whose shot was blocked by Parnis but in came Ayessler to volley home, much to the delight of the Qrendi faithful.

But two minutes later, the Gozitans scored what proved to be the winner with the Qrendi rear-guard initially clearing the ball from another Hotspurs attack, with Briffa picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box, crossing to Wellington who volleyed home in style, a great goal. Five minutes later, Apap missed a sitter from an awkward high Said kick which Qrendi somehow failed to clear, but the ex-Malta international aimed his attempt too high.

Qrendi did try to stage a reaction but many of their attacks were cut short with also most of their players clearly running out of energy towards the end.

After the game, right after the ceremony with handing out of the medals, Daniel Farrugia received the BOV Amateur Cup out of the hands of MFA Vice President Matthew Paris and Bank of Valletta Chief Operations Officer Ernest Agius.

Match Report & Photos by MFA