Bartolo the hero for Birkirkara

Sliema Wanderers - 3
Birkirkara - 3

(Birkirkara qualified 3-1 after penalty shoot out)

Until the 120th minute, the game ended into a 3-3 draw which resulted into a great thriller with Sliema Wanderers being twice ahead and not keeping their advantage.

The Blues couldn’t have a better start when when after 4 minutes of play they went a goal ahaed scored by Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza. The Sliema defence held strong until the last minutes of the first half. On 43 minutes, the champions were awarded a penalty which was missed by captain Michael Galea and two minutes after Nicola Vukanac equilised to sent his team in a 1-1 draw until half time.

On the first chance of the second half, Paul Zammit’s side went in front for the first time with a babatunde goals but just before the last quarter of play Mifsud Triganza scored the second personal goal to make it 2-2.

Extra time had to be played between the two teams and in the 113th minuta Sliema Wanderers scored again thanks to etienne Barbara. Everyone was thinking that this could have been the winner but two minutes from time Michael Galea levelled matters for a 3-3 final score.

Penalties had to be taken to have a semifinalist, and from here onwards, Birkirkara goalkeeper Manuel Bartolo proved to be vital for his teamates saving three penalties, those taken by Mark Scerri, Jackson Lima and Roderick Bajada while veteran Noel Turner was the only one who scored for the Blues.

Birkirkara scored three out of four penalty shoot outs. Galea missed the second penalty of the day but Emiliano Lattes, Paul Fenech and Ibrahim Babatunde all made success from the spot to send Birkirkara into the last four phase.

Sliema W. – Bonello, Mifsud, Mifsud Triganza, Bezzina, Gatt Baldacchino, Lima, Obifuele (Mintoff 83), Lackhem (Scerri 66), Bajada, Failla, Barbara (Turner 116)

Birkirkara – Bartolo, Cilia (Lattes 65), Vukanac, Agius, Zerafa (Muscat 36), Buhagiar, Fenech, Babatunde, Galea, Decesare, Bajada (Scicluna 59)

Referee – Kevin Azzopardi