Birżebbuġa and MXLOKK MFF Limited secured their places in the BOV Play-Off final after recording convincing victories in their respective semi-finals on Tuesday evening.
Birżebbuġa produced the more emphatic result, defeating Ta’ Xbiex Amigos 25-8, while MXLOKK MFF Limited overcame Marsaskala Fish & Fish 23-15. Both winners established sizeable advantages early in their matches and never allowed their opponents to recover.
Birżebbuġa 25-8 Ta’ Xbiex Amigos
Birżebbuġa dominated from the opening whistle against Ta’ Xbiex Amigos, taking an 8-3 lead after the first quarter before completely taking control of the contest.
The second session was decisive as Birżebbuġa kept a clean sheet while adding five more goals to establish a 13-3 advantage at half-time.
The gap continued to grow in the third quarter, with Birżebbuġa extending their lead to 19-6. Ta’ Xbiex managed three goals during the session, but could not contain their opponents’ attacking threat.
Birżebbuġa completed the job in the final quarter, scoring six times to finish with a 25-8 victory.
Jake Ciantar was the outstanding scorer for the winners with six goals, while Max Aquilina added four. Marko Radulovic and Rhys Bugelli scored three apiece, with Nicholas Bugelli, Miguel Cassar and Dwayne Farrugia contributing two each.
For Ta’ Xbiex, Shailon Cutajar scored three goals, while Vito Figlomeni added two. Julian Farrugia, Gabriel Bonavia and Roko Pelicari also found the net.
MXLOKK MFF Limited 23-15 Marsaskala Fish & Fish
MXLOKK MFF Limited also produced a strong performance to overcome Marsaskala Fish & Fish 23-15.
The winners made the better start, taking a 6-3 lead after the opening quarter. Marsaskala were unable to contain their opponents’ attack during the second session, with MXLOKK MFF Limited extending the advantage to 13-6 by half-time.
Marsaskala responded with a stronger third quarter and matched their opponents 5-5, but MXLOKK MFF Limited remained firmly in control at 18-11 heading into the final session.
The final quarter saw both teams continue to attack, with MXLOKK MFF Limited adding five goals and Marsaskala four as the match ended 23-15.
Jamie Borg Tabone led the scoring for MXLOKK MFF Limited with six goals, while Nikola Bogdanovic and Dimitrios Dimou scored five each. Sean Mifsud and Benji Lewis contributed three apiece, while Enrico Mallia and Benji Schranz were also on the scoresheet.
For Marsaskala, Philip Tabone scored four goals, with Kieran Grech adding two. Jamie Pacemizzi, Jake Simpson, Cjay Saliba and Nick Rizzo scored once each.
The two semi-finals therefore produced a total of 71 goals, with Birżebbuġa and MXLOKK MFF Limited now set to contest the BOV Play-Off final.
Both finalists demonstrated their attacking strength in the semi-finals, although Birżebbuġa’s 17-goal margin was the more convincing of the two victories.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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