Wanderers prevail in thrilling final
Champions Sannat land Super Cup to end season with a flourish
The football season in Gozo came to a close recently when the finals of the last two competitions were played at the Gozo Stadium.
SK Victoria Wanderers landed the BOV GFA Cup after a convincing 5-2 win over city rivals Victoria Hotspurs. A few days later, champions Sannat Lions beat SK Victoria Wanderers in a penalty shoot-out to clinch the Super Cup.
The GFA Cup final, controlled by referee Adrian Azzopardi, drew a sizeable crowd to the stadium and the fare produced delighted the fans as no fewer than seven goals were scored in a dramatic match.
The Wanderers, who had never won the cup before, went 2-0 up inside the opening half-hour with goals by Ajibade and Ige Adesina.
The Hotspurs were not demoralised though and John Paul Grima reduced the arrears on 33 minutes to put his team back on track. George Vella, who was replacing regular keeper Mark Grima, suspended, kept the Hotspurs in contention with fine saves from shots by Joseph Vella and Chris Sciortino.
The Reds levelled the scores in first-half stoppage time when Grima was first to a loose ball to hammer home the equaliser.
However, there was still time left for the Wanderers to regain the lead before the break through an excellent strike by Sciortino.
The Hotspurs were unlucky soon after the break when a shot by Noel Borg hit the post and a header by Martin Hanus was stopped in style by Mercieca.
On the hour, the Hotspurs were reduced to ten men when Ryan Grech was sent off for retaliation. The Reds tried to soldier on but their fort crumbled when Ige Adesina scored twice in a matter of a few minutes.
The influential midfielder made it 4-2 with 12 minutes left after meeting a cross by Ajibade Adesina and then sealed the issue following a fine solo move just before the final whistle.
In the Super Cup, champions Sannat Lions and cup holders SK Victoria Wanderers were both looking to end the season on a high.
In the end, the seventh meeting between the Lions and the Wanderers this season ended in a penalty shoot-out for a fourth time. In the previous three KO ties, the Wanderers prevailed from the spot but on this occasion Sannat's players looked sharper and scored all their penalties.
At the end of regular time the score was 1-1. Sannat had a Sabri Rais header hitting the post but opened the scoring 13 minutes from time thanks to a lob by John Camilleri. Joseph Refalo scored the equaliser for the Wanderers with five minutes left to force extra time.
Rais, Mario Azzopardi, Benneth Njoku, Mark Muscat and Kevin Loughborough scored for the Greens while the Wanderers had David Udo Monday, Joseph Vella, Akande Williams and Ige Adesina converting from the spot but Ajibade Adesina's penalty sailed over the bar.