Swieqi Get Revenge on B’Kara, Hibs Oust Mgarr, and Raiders Lija Breeze Past Mtarfa

The first round of the Assikura Knock-Out brought tension and goals. Swieqi United and Hibernians FC each won by just a single-goal margin, whilst Raiders Lija FC won by a whopping score of 9-1.

Swieqi United’s Triumph over the Stripes

The Owls ousted defending champions Birkirkara FC by a single goal, in a game that could not be settled over ninety minutes. The two sides were locked in a midfield battle for large portions of the match, with the tense fixture inevitably leading to scrappy battles and a few wayward kicks.

The Stripes had a good number of chances throughout the match. Sara Saliba was picked out well at the far post by Veronique Mifsud early on, but the striker could not get her body shape correct in time to take the strike.  Meanwhile, Gabriella Zahra hit the crossbar a quarter of an hour into the match. As the second half wore on, Saliba had another chance against Swieqi’s goalkeeper Cynthia Conlan but skied the shot in an attempt to dink it over the rushing goalkeeper. This before Charlene Zammit almost converted a corner kick from Ann-Marie Said for the Stripes.

However, The Owls had a few chances of their own and ended the first half well by troubling from a set-piece however could not find the target. Their best opportunity from open play came in the eighty-first minute as Rebecca Atinga was played through on goal. However, she too struck the side-netting in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper Janice Xuereb.

As the match went into extra time, the game was heavily interrupted as the effects of a long season appeared to take their toll on various players. Despite this, substitute Gaia Milan had a good impact from the bench for the Stripes and linked well with Raina Giusti and Sara Saliba in attack, but Milan was also off-target in both cases.

Penalties looked the likeliest of options, but the game swiftly turned on its head thanks to a single set piece. The goal that settled the match came just a minute into the final quarter of an hour of extra time. Jessica Dimech took charge of a free-kick in midfield after Dorianne Theuma was fouled. Swieqi’s number five launched the ball into the box which was met by a backward flick by the Stripes defence. Unfortunately for Birkirkara, the ball bounced awkwardly in front of the goalkeeper and subsequently found the back of the net, sending Swieqi’s fans into ecstasy along with the players and staff. Swieqi’s Jessica Dimech claims the goal that won the Owls the tie and sends them into the semi-finals.

Despite trying, Birkirkara failed to create a significant chance after they fell behind. On the other hand, credit must be given to Swieqi who managed the game well and frustrated their opposition, as they had done for long periods of the match despite having fewer chances.

Jubilation ensued for the team in orange at the whistle. Judith Kuipers’ Swieqi United will be delighted to see the back of the defending champions who have been an Achilles’ heel in the Owls’ search for glory in the cup last year as well as this year’s Super cup and in the league. Having reached the semi-final they will feel that perhaps this might just be their cup.

Hibernians FC and Raiders Lija FC Through

However, there was plenty of football happening at the same time, with other sides vying for the same chance to lift the cup. Hibernians FC faced Mgarr United at the Centenary Stadium in another tight fixture that could only be decided by a single goal. Hibernians’ Kayleigh Chetcuti grabs the headline with a free kick that was right on the money.

Meanwhile, Raiders Lija FC triumphed over Mtarfa FC by 9-1. Laura Muscat got Raiders going by scoring a brace in a space of seven minutes before Lexine Farrugia grabbed a hat-trick by scoring at either side of half-time to give Raiders a healthy lead of 5-0. Slavina Aleksandrova Peneva got a goal back for the blues in the sixty-third minute, but it was not enough to stop the deluge of goals. Gaia Antonelli, Hannah Khatib, Monique Sultana all found the net, before substitute Francesca Bartolo finished off the score in the final minutes. Detailed match reports will be available in the coming days.

The semi-finals will be held this Sunday 7^th May with kick-off at 5 pm. Raiders Lija FC will face Swieqi United at the Centenary Stadium, while Hibernians FC will meet San Gwann FC at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.

Photo: Jonathan Sajeba