Floriana and Marsaxlokk set for Malta Premier League finalissima

Floriana FC and Marsaxlokk FC will contest the Malta Premier League finalissima at the National Stadium on Saturday 16 May. Floriana won the Closing Round title and finished top of the Top Six with 37 points; Marsaxlokk were second with 31. A Floriana victory would be their 27th championship title.

For Marsaxlokk, it would be their second. Floriana reached the final by beating Valletta 0-0, winning 3-1 on penalties. Owen Spiteri was named Most Valuable Player of that match.

"We have been working all throughout the season to achieve our main goal," he said. "We are now ninety minutes away from glory. It was a very tight match but we kept believing that we could make it.

When it came down to penalties we also believed that we will win the match. " Marsaxlokk beat Ħamrun Spartans 2-1 in their semi-final. Marsaxlokk's Minala scored twice from the penalty spot in the same match — the first player in the Malta Premier League to do so.

Head coach Vincenzo Potenza said: "This is an incredible moment for all of us. I am very proud of my players looking back from where we started. We are now in the final facing Floriana who have been the most consistent team during the season." Valletta lost their Brazilian goalkeeper four minutes before the end of extra time; up to that point he had played every minute of the Premier League season. Valletta will now face Ħamrun Spartans in the third-place match at the National Stadium on Friday 15 May, kick-off 7pm. The Top Six final standings were: Floriana 37, Marsaxlokk 31, Ħamrun Spartans 28, Valletta 24, Gżira United 21, Naxxar Lions 20.

In the Bottom Six, Żabbar SP beat Tarxien Rainbows 2-0 and Mosta beat Naxxar Lions 1-0 on the final day. Tarxien Rainbows and Naxxar Lions were relegated. Żabbar SP's survival means the club will play three consecutive seasons in the Maltese top division for the first time in their history.

The Bottom Six final standings: Sliema Wanderers 22, Birkirkara 19, Hibernians 16, Żabbar SP 15, Tarxien Rainbows 15, Mosta 10. Mosta, Floriana, Hibernians and Birkirkara have each been in the top flight for 15 consecutive seasons. J.

Mbong of Ħamrun Spartans finished as the season's top scorer with 14 goals. Y. Messias (Valletta) and P.

Emanuel (Mosta) each scored 12; L. Villela (Hibernians) and J. Grech (Floriana) 11 each; P.

Santiago Cejas and M. Fontanella (both Żabbar SP) 10 each; M. Maia (Gżira United) and Ailton Soares (Marsaxlokk) 9 each; C.

Padilha Mendonca (Hibernians), A. Penha da Costa (Gżira United), Miullen (Hibernians), M. Jah (Floriana) and Vitinho (Naxxar Lions) 8 each; F.

Varela (Floriana) 7. Ħamrun Spartans led the clean-sheet table with 18, followed by Birkirkara and Floriana on 15, Valletta 13, Gżira United 11, Marsaxlokk 9, Sliema Wanderers and Żabbar SP 8 each, Mosta 6, Naxxar Lions and Hibernians 5 each, and Tarxien Rainbows 2.