Xewkija Tigers kept the momentum going as they scored a goal in each half to retain the GFA Cup after beating Għajnsielem in the final last Sunday.
A 1-0 win over SK Victoria Wanderers secured Xewkija’s place in the final while Għajnsielem, who were coming from back-to-back defeats in the league, beat Victoria Hotspurs 4-1 in the other semi-final.
The cup final drew another bumper crowd to the stadium and it was another exciting contest between two teams who gave their all to claim the honour.
Xewkija opened the scoring early following a fine header by Dene Shields and then fended off Għajnsielem’s strong reaction.
The Blacks went close to levelling matters before half-time when a Ferdinando Apap effort was stopped by keeper Steve Sultana with the aid of the crossbar.
Xewkija practically made sure of victory with a second goal on 68 minutes. Thiago Melo Dos Santos fired a rasping grounder into the net following a fine solo move.
At the end of the match, Xewkija captain Joseph Cefai was presented with the GFA Cup trophy by BOV representatives in the presence of GFA officials amid the celebrations of the winning team’s vociferous supporters.
Title decider
This Sunday, another sizeable crowd is expected at the Gozo Stadium as Xewkija and Għajnsielem cross swords for the third time in three weeks in the championship decider.
On current form, Xewkija seem to hold an edge over their rivals who will be seeking to finish the season on a high and make up for their poor results in league and cup lately.
Xewkija Tigers president Jeffrey Farrugia said Sunday’s tie will be another opportunity for the Gozitans to showcase their football.
“We hope this will be a great day for our football and that the mutual respect between the two clubs remains intact,” Farrugia said.
“We’re going through an excellent patch, so we’re confident that Xewkija can lift the championship trophy for the eighth time in our club’s history.”
Għajnsielem FC head Victor Scerri has not lost his belief that the Blacks can become champions after a lapse of 10 years.
“True, we had a couple of poor performances lately but that was also because we had a couple of regular players missing in key matches,” Scerri said.
“On Sunday, we can bank on a stronger squad.
“There’s potential in the team and that adds to our belief that we can rise to the occasion and win the decider.”
KO success for Rangers
Għarb Rangers thrashed Qala Saints 7-0 in a one-sided Division Two Knock-Out final to end their season on a high note.
Rangers, fourth in the league and out of contention for promotion this season, dominated the match as more was expected of the Maroons who were looking to erase their poor performance in the championship after finishing rock bottom.
Għarb’s goals were scored by Sylvan Galea (8, 59), Reuben Zammit (18), Christian Attard (44, 88), Roy Vella (62 penalty) and Josef Camenzuli (90 penalty).
Gozo FA president Samuel Azzopardi presented the trophy and medals to the Rangers players.