Marko Glumac has set his sights on helping Sta Luċija become the first Division One side to win promotion to the Premier League via the promotion play-off when his team takes on St Andrews on Sunday.
The Saints assured themselves of finishing third in Division One when they crushed Lija Athletic on Sunday to finish three points clear of Naxxar Lions.
“We want to go on into the history books by becoming the first Division One side to beat a Premier League side in a play-off,” Glumac said.
“Yes many are considering us to be the underdogs, but we are not afraid of playing St Andrews. I think we have the quality to put on a strong performance and defy the odds. We are a small club with a big heart.”
The Saints needed just one point to wrap up third place but they put on a storming first-half performance which saw them surge into a four-goal lead.
Sta Luċija took the lead after eight minutes through a Jurgen Suda header before Patrick Teixeira Maia added a second five minutes later. On 16 minutes Kevin Ante Rosero made it 3-0 after a fast break.
Lija pulled should have pulled a goal back on 33 minutes but Erjon Beu missed a penalty.
The Saints continue to stretch their lead courtesy of a Diego Mosquera goal.
Teixeira Maia made it 5-0 before Beu finally pulled a goal back for Lija on 64 minutes.
Rosero restored Sta Luċija’s five-goal lead with Lija pulling a second goal back from another penalty, which this time was converted by Beu.
Glumac admitted that St Andrews will have a few factors in their favour on Sunday but he hopes his team can overcome them.
“St Andrews are used to play most of their matches on natural grass as opposed to us who always play on artificial surface,” Glumac said.
“Added to that, throughout this season they played week in week out against top-quality opposition such as Valletta, Hibs and Gżira while we have always played against team of more or less our strength.
“But we have to get on with it and try and make the most of the opportunity.”
Glumac has good knowledge of Sunday’s opponents having been in charge of St Andrews for a few weeks last season.
“I know St Andrews first-team set-up as I was in charge of the team for a a few games last season when Danilo Doncic left the club while I also coached some of their young players during my time in their academy so hopefully that will help me to prepare better the team,” Glumac said.
On his part, Lija coach Joseph Galea admitted that his team lacked motivation for their final league assignment of the season.
“We had little to play for other than helping Erjon Beu to finish as the league’s top scorer, which we did as he netted two goals,” Galea said.
“After losing our top-flight status last season our goal this year was to finish in a mid-table position and we succeeded. We are coming from a season full of ups and downs and I still don’t know what is my future as my contract has just run out.
“I’m planning to talk to the club on a possible extension but honestly I don’t know what will happen at the moment.”
STA LUĊIJA: R. Caruana, J. Usuga, K. Vella, J. Suda, J.P. Teixeira Maia (71 N. Micallef), K. Pulo (62 N. Spiteri), J. Magri Overend, D. Vukovic, L. Diego Mosquera Segura (57 K. Ante Rosero), L. Galea, N. Borg.
LIJA ATHLETIC: L. Bonnici, D. Scerri (87 N. Camilleri), E. Beu, A. Borg, A. Bello Osagie, M. Clinch, G. Borg, R. Sammut (46 I. Borg), A. Galea, C. Gauci, O. Sidibe.
Referee: Daniel Portelli.
Best Player: Jurgen Suda (Sta Luċija).
SAN ĠWANN 2
VITTORIOSA STARS 2
SAN ĠWANN: C. Formosa, O. Spiteri, A. Cachia, C. Stewart (77 A. Abela), A. Borg (83 J.P. Attard), C. Gauci, J. Tanti (72 J. Bowman), S. Hili, G. Pace, N. Melo Ferreira, Renan.
VITTORIOSA: C. Cassar, C. Spiteri (90 A. Cilia Mumford), P. Papadakis, L. Gauci, K. Degiorgio (82 A. Galea), L Casha, B. Miguel Panzo (69 J. Ogunnupe), J. Briffa, N. Ojuola, J.C. Galea, D. Tabone.
Referee: Sandro Spiteri
Scorers: Gauci (V) 39; Renan (SĠ) 46; Stewart (SĠ) 51; Noah Ojuola (V) 72.
Best Player: Liam Gauci (Vittoriosa Stars).
ŻEJTUN CORINTHIANS 1
QRENDI 2
ŻEJTUN: D. Zarb, C. Giordemaina, J. Mandjeck, D. Andelkovic (51 J. Castano), A. Carabott, A. Smeir, R. Attard (67 I. Rusev), V. Geraskins, K. Buttigieg (77 R. Spiteri), A. Farrugia, G. Azzopardi.
QRENDI: J. Farrugia, D. Micallef, M. Farrugia, B. Bondin, M. Busuttil, D. Sammut (75 M. Barbara), J. Spiteri (51 C. Caruana), J.P. da Silva Vargas, C. Quaranta, K. Abela, J. Silveira da Silva (90 D. Martini).
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Scorers: Andelkovic (Ż) 24; Quaranta (Q) 84 pen; Silveira Da Silva (Q) 88.
Red card: Busuttil (Q) 58.
Best Player: Jeffrey Farrugia (Qrendi).
SIRENS 1
SWIEQI UNITED 0
SIRENS: M. Montfort, K. Farrugia, R. Mandic, D. Sant, R. Grech (46 G. Gesualdi), M. Del Negro, M.A. Morgon Filho, A.M. Bustos (70 L. Mijic), C. Gauci, I. Adeshina, R. Fenech (88 I. Schembri).
SWIEQI: E. Gatt, J. Cassar, M. Attard, K. Muscat, K. Sultana, G. Bugeja (65 I.A. Margarit), S. Bugeja, S. Ibrahim, M. Farrugia, T. Ayorinde (84 L. Zammit), L. Scicluna (72 S. Grech).
Referee: Philip Farrugia.
Scorer: Marc Morgon Filho 85 pen.
Best Player: Ayorinde Tejumola (Swieqi).
PEMBROKE ATHLETA 1
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS 1
PEMBROKE: P. Schranz, G. Azzopardi, M.A. Borg, G. Claudio da Silva, D. Cachia, I. Misan, Pedrinho (77 W. Moacir), D. Camilleri, Y. Tonna (81 A. Hili), J.P. Mifsud Triganza, K. Borg (71 E. Vallecillo)
ŻEBBUĠ: D. Galea, C. Brincat, D. Fava, R. Vella, B. Muscat, J. Farrugia, S. Buhagiar (82 K. Tanti), H. Vella, C. Ze Lucas, B. Gregori de Sousa (88 R. Ciantar).
Referee: Andrea Sciriha.
Scorers: Pedrinho (P) 28; Vella (Ż) 78.
Best Player: Brandon Muscat (Żebbuġ).
NAXXAR LIONS 5
MARSA 0
NAXXAR: O. Borg (51 S. Micallef), R. Mercieca, M. Fenech, A. Azzopardi, J. Ellul, C. Bugeja, A. Buhagiar, S. Nanapere, B. Essel, G. Grima (57 L. Bezzina), O. Magri (51 G. Xuereb).
MARSA: L. Seisun, D. Farrugia, B. Cardona, J.C. Buttigieg (52 E. Spiteri), J. Theuma, L. Ciantar, O. Cristiani, O. Galea, I. Anyaso, E. Payo, M. Marra.
Referee: Emanuel Grech.
Scorers: Ellul 19; Nanapere 50; Bugeja 84; Azzopardi 86; Essel 88.
Best Player: Benjamin Essel (Naxxar).
MQABBA 1
GUDJA UNITED 2
MQABBA: C. Abdilla (70 M. Galea), L. Farrugia, R. Da Silva Gomes, A. Ferreira, B. Grech, L. Meli, D. Azzopardi, F. Gusman, C. Cutajar (53 G. Micallef), N. Micallef, L. Suma (53 J.C. Martins).
GUDJA: J. Debono, L. Martinelli, J. Bondin, A. Mizzi, F. Aboulezz, S. Diacono (90 M. Bonnici), J. Lima Siqueira, J. Farrugia, L. Cremona, A. Marshall, R. Kooh Sohna (76 D. Santos Da Hora).
Referee: Paul Toledo.
Scorers: Kooh Sohna (G) 39; Ferreira (M) 69 pen; Lima (G) 80.
Best Player: Jackson Lima Siqueira (Gudja).