Floriana 2
Valletta 2
(aet - Valletta win 4-1 on pens)
Extraordinary. There is no better word to describe this showdown between rivals Valletta and Floriana who showed remarkable commitment to emerge victorious from this FA Trophy quarter-final.
After 120 minutes of drama, these two antagonists were still neck-and-neck with the score locked at 2-2, meaning that a penalty shoot-out was to decide the winner.
A nerve-racking finale ensued but the experience of Valletta came to the fore as Kenneth Scicluna, Paulo Massaro, Ian Zammit and Jamie Pace all put away their penalties to keep their team's double dream alive after Floriana's Luke Agius and Julian Briffa hit wide from the spot.
During this clash, two newcomers caught the eye. German goalkeeper Steffen Suessner, making his debut for Floriana, had pulled off a string of excellent saves to frustrate the Citizens but his obdurate resistance was broken by Massaro, Valletta's new signing from Brazil. He rescued City with a last-gasp equaliser before firing his team ahead in extra-time.
The game had an explosive start. Hardly 27 seconds from the initial whistle had elapsed when Floriana had a penalty in their favour after Luke Dimech was deemed to have clattered into the legs of Paolo Rogerio Da Silva in the area.
Pablo Doffo kept his cool to drill a low shot to Andrew Hogg's left.
Valletta's Roderick Briffa, yesterday playing in his favoured midfield position, then fashioned a long-range shot but Suessner saved with ease. This signalled the start of a long period of sustained pressure from the Citizens.
Sebastian Monesterolo, who partnered Gilbert Agius in attack, found himself one-on-one with Suessner thanks to Cleaven Frendo's cross but the Argentine was thwarted by the German who dived to his right to parry what looked like a certain goal.
In next to no time, Suessner pulled off another superb save from Monesterolo's high-riser.
Valletta pressed on the pedal, Briffa being unlucky not to equalise when his glancing header cannoned off the bar.
Valletta's siege showed no signs of abating. Monesterolo, showing glimpses of the form that made him a favourite with the City fans, was first to Gilbert Agius's corner but his volley appeared to strike Priso before rolling beyond the by-line.
An exquisite interchange between Monesterolo and Gilbert Agius culminated with the former driving a low shot that had goal written all over it but Suessner managed to get a touch to the ball which came off the inside of the far post.
Valletta kept up the pressure, white waves rolling against Suessner's goal but the keeper was proving hard to beat.
Doffo, having already been booked for a poor challenge, was lucky to escape a second yellow card for a two-footed tackle on Steve Bezzina.
The Citizens continued where they had left off in the first half when the match resumed.
Valletta coach Paul Zammit threw on another forward, Ian Zammit, for a right-back, Grioli, and switched to a three-man defence.
If this move was aimed at boosting Valletta's impetus, this was not forthcoming as their energy levels dropped.
Floriana might have applied the coup de grace when with 18 minutes to go Marlon Briffa advanced unimpeded on the right before sending in a cross towards the far post where the backtracking Scicluna just managed to intercept Darmanin.
As the game drifted into its final stages, Valletta again piled on the pressure. Scicluna would have equalised had his effort not been smothered away for a corner.
Just when it seemed that Floriana had weathered the storm, Valletta equalised in the last minute of stoppage time. Massaro was on the right spot to stab the ball past Suessner to send the City fans into raptures... and the game into extra-time.
The additional 30 minutes had just begun when Valletta went ahead, Massaro, running onto a long pass from Edmund Agius, lobbed the ball over Suessner and into the net.
Valletta now seized control but Floriana hit back in the dying minutes of the first half. Doffo provided the assist from a free-kick and Darmanin swooped at the far post to chest the ball past Hogg.
The Greens appeared to suffer a blow when Dylan Zarb was carried away on a stretcher after falling awkwardly.
Numerical equilibrium was soon restored, however, as Valletta finished with 10 men after Edmund Agius was sent off for a second booking.
Suessner further endeared himself to the Floriana fans with a last-gasp save from Jamie Pace's scorcher, in the process ensuring that the game be decided on penalties in an incendiary atmosphere at the National Stadium.
Floriana
S. Suessner, S. Bonnici, S. Eboh, J. Briffa, C. Camoin ('79 J. Brincat), L. Agius, O. Anonam ('86 D. Zarb), P. Doffo, O. Bugeja, R. Darmanin, P.R. Da Silva ('70 M. Briffa).
Valletta
A. Hogg, R. Briffa, J. Grioli ('58 I. Zammit), K. Scicluna, L. Dimech, S. Bezzina, E. Agius, C. Frendo ('76 P. Massaro), G. Agius, D. Priso, S. Monesterolo ('100 J. Pace).
Scorers: Doffo 1 pen.; Darmanin 105 (F); Massaro 90, 92 (V)
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Yellow cards: Doffo; Da Silva; Scicluna; Camoin; Monesterolo; L. Agius; E. Agius; Suessner; Massaro; G. Agius.
Red cards: E. Agius (V) 113.
Penalty sequence: Scicluna (V) scored 1-0; Darmanin (F) scored 1-1; Massaro (V) scored 2-1; Agius (F) missed 2-1; Zammit (V) scored 3-1; J. Briffa (F) missed 3-1; Pace (V) scored 4-1.