It wasn’t a stroll in the park for Floriana but in the second half they produced good football. In the first round Floriana registered a narrow win of 1-0.

Balzan made no changes from the side that beat Sliema Wanderers. Floriana played with the same formation as the one in which played in the game that they lost against Birkirkara.

In first 45 minutes Balzan were the best team on the pitch where they created the best chances with Floriana looking a disjointed lot.

After just five minutes Balzan went near when off a Steven Pisani free kick a header by Nenad Sljivic just missed the target.

But in the 7^th minute Balzan took the lead. Uros Ljubomirac sent a perfect cross from the right side towards Andrija Majdevac who rose above everyone and headed the ball towards the goal, with Jurgen Pisani finish heading the ball into his own net, in a bid to clear to safety.

Three minutes later, Floriana responded with a free kick by Diego Venancio which caused a havoc in the Balzan area but Jurgen Pisani failed to connect.

Balzan were the most entertaining and in the 18^th minute Andrija Majdevac served Uros Ljubomirac but the latter’s header was saved by goalkeeper Ini Etim Akpan.

Minutes later Balzan had another opportunity when Andrija Majdevac dribbled past the Floriana defence with a strong run but his shot finished hitting the side-netting.

In the 27^th minute, Balzan nearly doubled the score. Uros Ljubomirac set Luke Montebello through on the right side of the penalty area and the latter fired a close range shot that forced a great save from goalkeeper Ini Etim Akpan.

In the 36^th minute, Floriana hit back when Tiago Adan Fonseca received a long ball inside the penalty area before hitting a powerful shot which missed the target.

On the other end, Andrija Majdevac threatened once again but his final shot hit the side netting.

Against the way of play, Floriana managed to equalise matters in the 38^th minute. In a swift counter attack, Kristian Keqi sent TIAGO ADAN FONSECA through on the left and the latter hit low from underneath goalkeeper Kristian Naumovski with the ball ending at the back of the net.

In the second half, Floriana came out better and after 2 minutes a corner taken by Brandon Diego Paiber forced Kristijan Nuamovski to stretch in order to turn the ball over the bar.

But it was Balzan who should have regained their lead in a swift break when Andrija Madjevac saw his cross shot flashing across the face of goal with no one to connect.

A minute later Floriana went near when Tiago Adan Fonseca played the ball towards Krisian Keqi but his shot finished wide.

Balzan replied on the 56^th minute. After connecting a cross by Uros Ljubomirac, Majdevac’s shot from inside the penalty area took a deflection off a defender with the ball finishing into a corner.

The best chance was created by Balzan in the 58^th minute when a shot by Luke Montebello was blocked on the fatal line by Jurgen Pisani with the goalkeeper out of position.

On the hour Ini Etim Akpan saved a grounder by Andrija Majdevac and in the 73^rd minute he also saved in two attempts a diagonal shot by Luke Montebello.

However in the 76^th minute, it was Floriana that took the lead. When Balzan were on the attack, a shot by Paul Fenech was blocked by the Floriana defender and from the rebound Floriana finished on a swift counter attack with Kritian Keqi finding substiute AUGUSTO CASERAS, who on entering the area fired home past goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski.

A minute from the end Kristijan Naumovski incredibly pushed away a point blank shot by Kristian Keqi.

Balzan replied with a shot from the edge of the area by Andrija Majdevac which ended just wide.

Three minutes in added time, Floriana sealed the issue with a third goal win off another swift counter-attack. After a good move by Diego Venancio and Augusto Caseres, KRISTIAN KEQI received the ball and hit low past the Balzan goalkeeper from inside the area.

BALZAN :Kristijan Naumovski, Augustine Loof, Nenad Sljivic, Steve Pisani, Steve Bezzina, Paul Fenech (Samir Arab 84’), Uros Ljubomirac, Ivan Bozovic, Arthur Faria Machado (Alfred Effiong 70’), Luke Montebello.

FLORIANA : Ini Etim Akpan, Enzo Ruiz, Diego Venancio, Kristian Keqi, Ulises Arias, Brandon Paiber (Augusto Rene Caseres 68’), Jurgen Pisani, Matias Nicolas Garcia (Clyde Borg 86’), Alex Cini, Ryan Camenzuli, Tiago Adan Fonseca (Jan Busuttil 90+1’).

Referee: Matthew De Gabriele

BOV Player of the Match: Uros Ljubomirac