by Mgarr United’s step to the final was asserted early, ultimately clinching a 5 – 1 win against Hibernians. Ines N’Guessan struck home before further goals from Yulya Carella and Maia Debono settled a comfortable margin ahead of the break. Abigail Camilleri’s header wrapped up their win, before Sarah Vella Barberi pulled one back for the Paolites.
Team Selections
Maya Cachia started in goal for Hibernians behind a back-four consisting of Georgiana Mifsud, Amber Galea, Natalee Geren and Cali Schechinger. Amy Catania started in partnership with captain Nicole Sciberras in midfield, with Olivia Nazarko deployed in the number ten position. Kayleigh Chetcuti and Ileana Farrugia started on the wings, with Leah Ayres trusted as the lone attacker.
Giulia D’Antuono started in goal for Mgarr United behind an unchanged defence in Yanina Mendez, captain Abigail Camilleri, Leanne Cefai and Maia Debono. Veronique Mifsud and Brenda Borg held the midfield, with Yulya Carella and Ines N’Guessan operating out wide. Alejandra Villegas Caly supported Luz Hernandez in attack.
How It Unfolded
Mgarr United’s path to a third final this season was defined early and managed thereafter. However, opening exchanges suggested a more balanced contest. On the third minute, Alejandra Villegas Caly was released through on goal, forcing Maya Cachia into a sharp stop to concede a corner. Mgarr began with more of the ball, but Hibernians were not passive — early challenges from both sides reflected a fixture with little margin for comfort, referee Steve Baldacchino quick to assert control.
A warning arrived on the twelfth minute when Hibernians delivered a dangerous free-kick into the box, Giulia D’Antuono misjudging the flight, though Mgarr recovered before any damage was done.
Four minutes later, the breakthrough came from an unlikely angle. On the sixteenth minute, Ines N’Guessan collected the ball near the byline and, with little apparent space, lifted her finish into the roof of the net — a strike that shifted both the scoreline and the game’s direction.
Hibernians looked to respond through Ileana Farrugia and Leah Ayres, but Mgarr’s defensive line held firm. Instead, it was the Greens who extended their advantage. On the twenty-second minute, following consecutive corners, the second delivery created disruption in the six-yard box. Multiple touches in the box led to an own goal for Mgarr to double the lead.
That two-goal cushion did not immediately settle the game. Between the twenty-fifth and twenty-eighth minute, Hibernians produced their most sustained spell. Olivia Nazarko’s lifted pass released Ileana Farrugia wide, whose cross led to a corner. Amy Catania struck directly at Giulia D’Antuono, while Georgiana Mifsud won a foul at the edge of the area. Cali Schechinger then fed Amy Catania again, this time forcing Maia Debono into a save at the near post, before Giulia D’Antuono was required to palm away another effort.
Yet, as had been the pattern, Hibernians’ pressure lacked the final touch. Mgarr’s response was again decisive.
On the thirty-seventh minute, Alejandra Villegas Caly laid the ball into the path of Yulya Carella, whose strike from distance carried both power and trajectory. Maya Cachia got a hand to it, but could not prevent it from crossing the line.
Hibernians continued to probe, earning a corner on the thirty-ninth minute, but Mgarr’s defensive organisation remained intact. Injury then forced a change on the forty-second minute, with Sylivia Kabene replacing Leah Ayres.
The first half closed with another set-piece return. On the forty-fifth minute, Brenda Borg’s corner found Maia Debono inside the six-yard box, the defender rising to head home and extend the lead to four — a goal that underlined Mgarr’s efficiency across phases.
Half-Time: Hibernians 0 – 4 Mgarr United
At the break, Hibernians introduced Sarah Vella Barberi and Francesca Bartolo in place of Ileana Farrugia and Olivia Nazarko in an attempt to shift momentum.
Instead, Mgarr reinforced their control. On the fifty-seventh minute, Yanina Mendez delivered an inswinging ball from a set-piece, with Abigail Camilleri rising to head home the fifth — further evidence of Mgarr’s effectiveness in structured moments.
Hibernians responded with a tactical adjustment on the sixty-first minute, introducing Yolande Attard for Kayleigh Chetcuti and shifting into a back three, with Georgiana Mifsud, Natalee Geren, and Amber Galea central, and Yolande Attard alongside Cali Schechinger operating as wing-backs.
There were glimpses of improvement. On the sixty-fifth minute, Amy Catania’s diagonal ball released Sarah Vella Barberi wide, whose cross forced Giulia D’Antuono into a punch clear. Three minutes later, a corner from Cali Schechinger found Amy Catania, who allowed it to run through, but Amber Galea’s effort from distance drifted wide.
Mgarr rotated from the sixty-ninth minute, with Patricia Ebejer replacing Giulia D’Antuono in goal. The defensive line, however, maintained its structure. On the seventy-first minute, Yolande Attard drove forward down the wing, but Abigail Camilleri intercepted the low cross, reflecting Mgarr’s continued focus on preserving their advantage.
That concentration briefly lapsed on the seventy-fifth minute. Sylivia Kabene who capitalised on a momentary lapse in defence to earn possession before squaring to Sarah Vella Barberi. She finished off the consolation, aided by a deflection.
The response from Mgarr was measured rather than reactive. On the seventy-seventh minute, Veronique Mifsud tested Maya Cachia from distance, before further substitutions followed. Maia Debono made way for Gaia Antonelli on the seventy-eighth minute, while Nicole Sciberras was replaced by Alanah Ghio for Hibernians on the eightieth minute. A minute later, Ines N’Guessan and Luz Hernandez were withdrawn, with Elisa Xuereb and Shania Spiteri introduced.
Hibernians continued to push in the closing stages. On the eighty-fifth minute, Amy Catania drove down the left and struck toward the far corner, forcing Patricia Ebejer into a save for a corner. By the eighty-eighth minute, Mgarr had dropped deeper, compact in their own half as Hibernians searched for further reward, but the defensive structure held.
Full-Time: Hibernians 1 – 5 Mgarr United
The Final
Mgarr United secure their place in a third final of the season, with a real chance of securing a treble of trophies, should they manage to get the better of Birkirkara. The latter achieved the spot following a 5 – 0 win against Valletta.
For Hibernians, the match followed a narrative that haunts of the most recent match against the Greens. Their season closes short of the cup final for the first time since returning to the women’s game in the 2022/23 campaign.
The final kicks of 2025/26 will be played on Friday 1st May as the Centenary hosts the final between the holders, Mgarr United, and Birkirkara. Kick-off is at 14:00.
Lead Image: Jonathan Caruana
Stay up to date by following The Sporting Fan on social media: Instagram ~ Facebook ~ X
