Penalties stop Floriana from making history
Floriana 0 Flora Tallinn 0 (Flora won 4-2 on penalties)
Penalties stopped Floriana from making yesterday when they lost against Flora Tallinn in the Third Qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
If they qualified, the Greens would have been the first Maltese cub to make it to the PlayOff stages.
The match was balanced especially in the first half, but the Greens were the better team in the second half.
The Greens also had th ebest scoring opportunities, but failed to capitalise and the match went into extra time and eventually penalties.
After a dull first half Floriana created the first danger three minutes into the second one with Leone’s effort deflected to corner.
Efforts from Venancio and Paiber just missed the target and a Leone dipper was blocked by the Estonian custodian.
On 80 minutes venancio just missed the upright by a whisker with a fierce drive and minutes from time Akpan saved the local Greens with a fine save.
In extra time both sides tired out but Floriana still had a couple of good scoring chances with Cheveresan and Fonseca going close.
The match went to penalties and it was heart breaking for Floriana who missed the first two penalties, with Keqi hitting wide the first one, and the second one from Venancio saved by the Flora goalkeeper.#
Although Flora did miss a penalty saved by Akpan, Floriana never recovered and bowed out 2-4 on penalties.
Floriana: I. Akpan, E. Ruiz, D. Venancio, N. Leone (J. Busuttil 118’), K. Keqi, B. Paiber (F. Cheveresan 81’), J. Pisani, M. Garcia, M. Dias, R. Camenzuli, T. Fonseca
Flora: M. Igonen, M. Kuusk, M. Lukka, V. Kreida, R. Alliku (M. Miller 69’), R. Sappinen (M. Lepik 81’), K. Vassiljev (M. Poom 99’), H. Purg, M. Lillander, M. Soomets, V. Sinyavskiy (F. Liivak 106’)
Referee: Irfan Peljto (Bosnia)