Victoria Hotspurs capped off a remarkable season by lifting the BOV Amateur Cup, defeating Qrendi FC 2–1 in a lively and hard-fought final Sunday afternoon.
Having already secured promotion by winning the Amateur League II, the Gozitan side added silverware to their return to competitive football with a deserved victory, albeit one that required resolve and composure against a resilient Qrendi outfit.
Goals from Shaun Attard and Brazilian winger Wellington Valentim De Sousa in the second half sealed the win for the Hotspurs, despite a spirited response from Qrendi, who briefly levelled the score just after the hour mark.
The match got off to an energetic start, with Victoria, managed by Oliver Spiteri, imposing themselves early on. The coach opted for an attacking setup, starting both of his Brazilian forwards, Valentim on the right wing and Rondinely Monteiro through the middle.
Within the first quarter-hour, the Hotspurs had already tested Qrendi goalkeeper Miguel Abela several times. Kurt Borg came closest on eight minutes, narrowly missing a cross from Matthias Said, while Rondinely’s weak effort moments later failed to trouble Abela.
Qrendi slowly grew into the game, driven by the tireless Ayesller Carvalho, and had two golden chances late in the first half. The best fell to Brandon Bray on 40 minutes, whose goal-bound effort was superbly kept out by Adrian Parnis in the Victoria goal.
The breakthrough came just after the restart. In the 53rd minute, a rapid counter-attack saw Attard fire a low drive past Abela from the edge of the box to give Hotspurs a deserved lead.
Qrendi struck back in the 63rd minute. A brilliant solo run by Bray down the left led to a scramble in the area, and Ayesller was on hand to volley home the rebound and send the Qrendi fans into celebration.
But the joy was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Roderick Briffa retrieved a loose clearance and delivered a pinpoint cross for Wellington, who made no mistake with a stylish volley to restore Victoria’s advantage, and ultimately, secure the cup.
Despite some late pressure from Qrendi, their energy waned as the match wore on, and Victoria held firm to see out the result.
Following the final whistle, team captain Daniel Farrugia, who had started the match on the bench, lifted the BOV Amateur Cup during the medal ceremony, with the presentation made by MFA Vice President Matthew Paris and Bank of Valletta COO Ernest Agius.
The victory rounds off a dream campaign for Victoria Hotspurs, who debuted at the top of the Maltese football scene with two trophies in hand.
