Victoria Hotspurs capped off a remarkable season by adding the BOV Amateur Cup to their trophy cabinet, edging Qrendi 2–1 in a closely contested final. Fresh from clinching the Amateur League II title, the Gozitan side underlined their quality with a deserved victory at the end of a dominant display, despite spirited resistance from Qrendi.
Qrendi, led by coach Gotthard Conti—himself a former title-winning manager with the Hotspurs—made just one change from their semi-final triumph over Mellieha, as Christian Degabriele slotted in at right-back ahead of Jean Claude Vella. Meanwhile, Hotspurs coach Oliver Spiteri opted for an attacking setup, starting both Brazilian forwards—Valentim Wellington and Rondinely Monteiro—for only the second time this season, leaving veteran defender Daniel Farrugia on the bench at kick-off.
The Hotspurs started brightly and stamped their authority early on. In the 8th minute, Kurt Borg narrowly missed converting a cross from Matthias Said, before Rondinely saw a close-range effort comfortably saved by Qrendi goalkeeper Miguel Abela moments later. Abela was called into action again on 13 minutes to deny Borg after the striker broke the offside trap, while Rondinely fired wide from a promising position shortly afterwards.
Qrendi gradually found their rhythm, with Ayesller Carvalho leading their forward line alongside Gianfranco Micallef and Sterling Moran. Carvalho had two decent chances midway through the half but was unable to capitalise, and the best opportunity fell to Brandon Bray just before the interval—only for Hotspurs goalkeeper Adrian Parnis to produce an excellent save.
The breakthrough finally came eight minutes into the second half. A swift counter-attack left Qrendi’s defence exposed, and Shaun Attard drilled a low shot past Abela from the edge of the box to put Victoria Hotspurs in front.
Qrendi responded well and found an equaliser on 63 minutes. Bray’s surging run down the left created space, and after Micallef’s shot was parried by Parnis, Carvalho pounced on the rebound to smash home and ignite the Qrendi supporters.
However, the Hotspurs hit back almost immediately. Two minutes after conceding, Roderick Briffa collected a loose ball and floated in a precise cross to Wellington, who rifled home a spectacular volley to restore Victoria’s lead. The Gozitans nearly extended their advantage soon after, but Ferdinando Apap blazed over from close range following a miscued clearance.
Qrendi tried to rally in the closing stages but lacked the energy and precision to threaten, as the Hotspurs closed out the match with disciplined defending.
At full-time, Victoria Hotspurs celebrated their double triumph, with captain Daniel Farrugia lifting the BOV Amateur Cup. The trophy was presented by MFA Vice-President Matthew Paris and Bank of Valletta Chief Operations Officer Ernest Agius.
