Gżira United 0
Valletta 2
Agius 24; Cremona 90;
This semi-final resembled anything but a cup tie.
Gżira, the only team outside the Premier League still in the competition, were clearly intent on making a contest of it in the hope of causing an upset but this was a bridge too far for the Division One outfit.
Edmond Agius’s first-half tap-in and substitute Llewlyn Cremona’s stoppage-time goal proved enough for Valletta to book their place in the May 4 final, in the process keeping their hopes of a double alive.
The scoreline might hint at a tight encounter but Valletta, with their mind already on Sunday’s league showdown with Birkirkara, did just enough to see off the challenge of Gzira whose best patch came in the final 10 minutes despite the late sending-off of Moises Avila Perez.
Andre Paus’s decision to restore captain Ryan Fenech and Shawn Bajada, who both missed the 3-1 league win over Balzan due to suspension, to the team underlined the City coach’s respect for the competition and opposition.
Goalkeeper Nukri Revishvili, Abdelkarim Nafti and Hamza Barry were also in the starting XI.
Senegelase striker Pape Gueye, who is expected to sign for a club in the Vietnam league later this month, heeded Gżira’s call to fly back to Malta in order to play in this semi-final.
The powerful Gueye was the side’s attacking spearhead with Avila Perez, another player with Premier League experience, lurking behind.
The early stages were bereft of scoring chances as Gżira, with Renie Forace handed sweeping duties at the heart of a five-man rearguard, were compact at the back.
Close to the 15th minute, Bajada, deployed on the left wing, swept into the box before laying the ball for Lateef Elford-Alliyu but the City striker hooked his shot over the bar.
The Maroons quickly served up a warning of their own counter-attacking threat as Gueye shielded the ball well before releasing Avila Perez whose drive was palmed away for a corner by Revishvili.
Valletta broke the stalemate on 24 minutes. Barry’s surging run through the middle took him into the box. His grounder was kept out by Kyle Gerada but Agius was on the right spot to hit home the rebound.
A goal to the good, Valletta remained in control but were too casual going forward. They looked content to stroke the ball around as if this was a friendly kickabout.
The boredom was partially broken seven minutes from half-time when Roderick Briffa’s cross from the right was met by Elford-Alliyu who headed over.
Gżira appealed for a penalty when the sprinting Gueye went down under Jonathan Caruana’s challenge but referee Chris Lautier instead awarded the Maroons a flag-kick.
There was no change in the complexion of the game after the change of ends.
Eight minutes into the second half, Bajada cut in from the right before curling a shot towards the far post but Gerada saved with ease.
Gueye then headed wide from Ryan Deguara’s cross. Four minutes past the hour, Gerada denied Valletta a second goal when pawing away Barry’s fierce grounder from the edge of the area.
There was another scare for Gżira when Fenech’s corner was headed goalwards by Borg but the ball came off a defender.
By this time, Paus had withdrawn Bajada and Elford-Alliyu who were replaced by interesting youngsters Cremona and Luke Montebello.
With eight minutes remaining, Gżira’s faint hopes of an equaliser all but evaporated when Avila Perez was shown a straight red for a scathing tackle on Fenech.
The erstwhile inactive Revishvili did well to fist away Christian Cassar’s set-piece cross.
Gżira stirred in the closing stages. Andre White’s header from a Cassar cross was saved by Revishvili but, from their next foray, Valletta seal the win.
Montebello’s pass was deflected into the path of Cremona who advanced unimpeded before slotting past Gerada.
Gżira United
K. Gerada, Y. Tonna (59 C. Cassar), R. Forace, A. White, J. Camilleri, B. Bondin, R. Deguara (71 J. Chetcuti), M. Kotyza, P. Gueye, M. Avila Perez, S. Meilak (78 S. Vella).
Valletta
N. Revishvili, J. Caruana, S. Borg, R. Fenech, E. Agius (78 J.P. Mifsud Triganza), R. Briffa, O. Reyes Sanchez, H. Barry, S. Bajada (64 L. Cremona), L. Elford-Alliyu (68 L. Montebello), A. Nafti.
Referee: Chris Lautier.
Yellow card: Reyes Sanchez.
Red card: Avila Perez (GU) 82.