Valletta won the Malta FA 125th Anniversary Jubilee Cup with a 3-1 victory over Sliema Wanderers at the National Stadium.
Yuri Messias opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, finishing a low shot past Rashed Al Tumi after some excellent play from defender Steve Borg, giving Valletta a 1-0 lead at half-time.
As expected, Sliema pushed to equalise in the second half, but their hopes were dashed 15 minutes from full-time when Valletta were awarded a penalty after Sava Radic was pulled down in the box. From the spot, Yuri Messias calmly sent Al Tumi one way and the ball the other to make it 2-0.
Valletta secured the win in the 83rd minute with a brilliant free-kick from captain Brandon Paiber, who curled the ball into the top right corner, leaving the Sliema goalkeeper with no chance.
Sliema did pull one back three minutes later through Fernandinho, but they couldn’t close the gap before the final whistle from referee Ishmael Barbara.
The victory sparked celebrations among Valletta’s players, staff and supporters, as the team who were in the Challenge League last season are now not only among the best in the MPL, but have also claimed silverware.
