Floriana reach FA Trophy final with 4-3 win on penalties
Floriana are the first finalists of the Izibet FA Trophy after beating Gzira United after a penalty shoot-out.The Greens reduced to nine men on the 71st minute went against all odds to hold on to a draw and eventually qualify for Sunday’s final
Floriana are the first finalists of the Izibet FA Trophy after beating Gzira United after a penalty shoot-out.
The Greens reduced to nine men on the 71st minute went against all odds to hold on to a draw and eventually qualify for Sunday’s final on penalties.
The Maroons have only themselves to blame for not reaching the final, as they failed to capitalise on a two-goal advantage, and then failed to find the net when playing against nine men for fifty minutes of the match.
This was the second encounter between these two sides in the space of five days, with Gzira winning Friday’s last league match against the Greens to make sure of staying in the Premier League.
Floriana faced this match after suffering three successive defeats against Marsaxlokk, against Hamrun in the decisive title match, and against the Maroons.
And the start looked bleak for Floriana who were almost taken by surprise by an aggressive and determined Gzira side.
The Floriana goalkeeper, who proved to be the hero at the end of the game, was immediately called in action in the opening minutes when ha saved a dangerous effort from Aldama.
Gzira continued to divtate and took the lead on eleven minutes when a Mendoza corner was met by Brazilian defender Bohrer Metz who headed beautifully home.
Floriana had a good reaction and were unlucky six minutes later when a Kouro scorcher slammed against the upright with Zarkov beaten.
On 36 minutes Gzira doubled the score from another corner action. Mendoza’s kick from the corner flag was punched away by Andrijanic only for Zachary Cassar to first-time beautifully home from the edge of the area.
The Greens had the merit of not throwing in the towel after this double blow and were back in business just before the break when Garcia headed home from a corner action.
The Greens were a transformed side at the start of the second half as they immediately pushed forward for the equaliser.
On 47 minutes Floriana went very close when a Kemar Reid header off a corner action was cleared off the goal line by Zachary Scerri, with the ball possibly even going past the goal line.
But Floriana were not to be denied sixty seconds later as from an identical corner, an identical header from Kemar Reid but this time the ball finished at the back of the net.
The game was now an open contest but Floriana received a setback when Garcia received two bookings in the space of four minutes.
There was even more trouble for the Greens on 72 minutes when El Hasni’s vicious tackle on Mendoza was punished with a straight red card leaving Floriana with nine men.
The Maroons now took the initiative but the Greens defende bravely.
Gzira failed to find space, not properly using the flanks, making iut easier for Floriana.
The match went to extra time and Floriana had the best chances in the first half when substitute Veselji had a glorious chance but his shot was somehow blocked by Zarkov.
Zarkov was beaten minutes later by a Jake Grech freekick, but the crossbar saved the maroons.
In the second half of extra time Gzira were unlucky when a point blank header by Macula finished against the upright.
In their last attempt a Bohrer bombshell was brilliantly saved by Andrijanic.
The penalties had to decide a winner. Both sides scored their first three penalties through Bohrer, Mendoza and Ewertton for Gzira, and Veselji, Jake Grech and Reid for Floriana.
Thaylor Aldama blasted over the bar Gzira’s penalty, and Zammit Lonardelli scored his to put Floarian in front.
Espindola scored Gzira’s last penalty, but Floriana still had their fifth to take.
Goalkeeper Andrijanic faced Gzira’s goalkeeper Zarkov, and the Greens’ custodian made no mistake to put Floriana in Sunday’s final.
Photo: Domenic Aquilina
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