Valletta clinch double in thei

■ Stewart Said

Valletta clinched their seventh double in their history after they defeated Birkirkara 2-1 in the finali of the Boost FA Trophy. This was the 14th time that Valletta won the competition, in a match that they dominated in the first half, and stayed in control in the second half, with the final minutes being the only minutes in which they had to defend.

Matteo Piciollo and Santiago Malano stood out for Valletta. Birkirkara failed to create enough danger throughout the game as they had to chase their opponents for most of the game.

Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit made two changes from their semifinal win against Sliema. Captain Nikola Vukanac and Carlos Alberto da Silva returned from suspension to start instead of Lucas Maia and Ognjen Rolovic.

On the other hand, Valletta coach Danilo Doncic gave a starting berth to Juan Cruz Gill as defender Steve Borg was suspended.

Valletta dominated the first half from start to finish. They managed to take the lead but also could have built a comfortable lead. The citizens tested Naumovski in the first part of the game with shots from distance by Miguel Alba and Rowen Muscat, while had a free-kick by Malano and another shot by Matteo Piciollo that finished off target.

The first clear opportunity arrived on the 21st minute. Miguel Alba stole a ball from Ryan Scicluna and caught the Birkirkara defence on one foot in a 2 on 1 situation. The Argentinian decided to advance but took the wrong direction and his shot was saved by Naumovski.

Valletta continued to be the better team with several at-