Mqabba 0
Balzan Youths 2
Balzan are just one step away from a memorable double after beating 10-man Mqabba in the cup semi-final at the Ħamrun ground.
Balzan missed a golden opportunity to open the score after only three minutes when Pierre Grima brought down Rennie Forace in the box but Pedro Dos Santos Calcado hit the penalty out of range.
Mqabba had a Thiago dos Santos Mazitelli drive blocked by a defender and from the rebound the Brazilian saw his shot finishing inches wide.
As the minutes ticked by, play was mainly concentrated in midfield until the 28th minute when an Advan Cakigi free-kick for Mqabba was saved by Frederick Tabone.
Nine minutes later, however, Mqabba suffered a severe setback when defender Branislav Timotic was sent off for a professional foul after stopping Steve Meilak who was put through by Calcado.
Balzan looked more aggressive after the break and on 50 minutes Steve Meilak went close when his shot finished just wide after a superb Renato Conceicao pass.
Three minutes later the Youths took the lead when Lydon Micallef chested the ball down before slot-ting home from an acute angle.
Ten minutes from time Balzan put the game to bed when substitute Sylvan Ciscaldi’s scorcher hit the crossbar and Micallef was on the right spot to hammer home the loose ball.
Aaron Agius nearly made it 3-0 on 90 minutes with a cute lob and deep into stoppage time Mqabba could have scored a consolation but Cakigi’s shot hit the upright.
Mqabba: K. Calleja, P. Grima, M. Bonnici, A. Scicluna, B. Timotic, D. Azzopardi, T. dos Santos Mazitelli, C. Calleja (I. Curmi), J. Paul Muscat (V. Causchi), A. Cakigi, S. Magro.
Balzan: F. Tabone, C. Ciantar, C. Micallef, R. Forace, M. Buttigieg (A. Agius), D. Grima, R. Conceicao, J. Francica, P. dos Santos Calcado, S. Meilak (S. Ciscaldi), L. Micallef (D. Fenech).
Referee: Clayton Pisani.
Lija Athletic 2
Dingli Swallows 3
Dingli reached the Maltco KO final after ousting a depleted Lija side to make it three wins out of three after the Swallows had already beaten Lija twice in the league.
Three goals in the space of nine minutes, half-way through the second half, downed Lija who fought back bravely but sorely felt the absences of key players Martin Camilleri and Matthew Fleri Soler.
Borislav Giorev’s Dingli could have taken the lead early on through danger man Princewell Okachi whose effort from inside the box whizzed past the post. Lija replied with a Wayne Borg St John lob that flew over the crossbar.
Lija were seeing more of the ball and Beppe Antignolo fired just wide when served by Admir Dzanovic from just inside the box. However, as time went by Dingli improved and Leontiv Konda should have done better than hitting wide after he was released by Jereilly Chirono.
Five minutes from the break, Chirino burst through after beating two defenders on the run but miscued his shot.
However, Dingli broke the deadlock on 65 minutes following a good move which was finished off by Chirino after a Konda shot had been partially stopped by keeper Sean Mintoff.
Konda was on the mark six minutes later when hitting home from an Okachi delivery.
Lija were stunned and Dingli made it 3-0 through Ryan Sammut.
Lija pulled one back eight minutes from time through Antoine Sacco when he beat keeper Mark Abela with a powerful shot.
Four minutes later Keith Darmanin headed home from an Antignolo free-kick but by then Lija had little time left to force extra-time.
Lija: S. Mintoff, A. Spiteri, A. Saliba, M. Potezica (E. Borg), W. Borg St John (D. Mintoff), K. Darmanin, J.P. Scerri, A. Sacco, A. Scicluna, A. Dzanovic, B. Antignolo.
Dingli: M. Abela, K. Pace, R. Sammut, S. Tellus, K. Formosa, L. Konda, P. Okachi, E. Farrugia, R. Briffa, C. Azzopardi (K. Borg), J. Chirino.
Referee: Kevin Azzopardi.