Floriana coach Mauro Camoranesi and his counterpart at Gżira United, Andrew Cohen, have their eyes firmly set on leading their team into Sunday’s FA Trophy final as the two Premier League sides go head to head in the opening semi-final on Tuesday evening (kick-off: 7pm).
For Floriana, the FA Trophy represents an opportunity to somewhat make up for their disappointing finish to an impressive league campaign this season which saw them miss out on the Premier League title after suffering a comprehensive 5-0 defeat to champions Ħamrun Spartans.
The repercussions on that hefty defeat were reflected in the team’s poor showing against Gżira United last Friday which saw them concede a third successive defeat.
Coach Mauro Camoranesi has his work cut out to try and lift the spirit of his players as they bid to recapture the FA Trophy that would see them become the team with the highest number of victories in the cup competition as well as ending the season in style.
Contacted by the Times of Malta, Camoranesi said that they are aware of the difficult challenge awaiting his team this evening but has no doubt that his players will rediscover their hunger and ambition to secure a place in Sunday’s final.
“There is a lot of determination from all the group to do well in this semi-final and we are raring to go,” Camoranesi said.
“We have trained very well in the past few days and the players have shown that they want to secure a place in the final and are in great physical condition.
“Obviously we have good knowledge of what is awaiting us when facing Gżira United.
“They are a team that have great defensive organisation, practically with ten players, and always try to take advantage of quick transition play from their wing players.
“They are a team that are very comfortable in playing a match as an underdog so we need to impose our style of play. It’s a different match to the two previous meetings in the league as it’s a knock out match.
“I am pleased to have all the players available but I have no doubt that it’s going to be a very tough match.”
Gżira United approach this semi-final with some form of optimism as the Maroons are one of only two teams who this season completed the double over Floriana in the Premier League, the other being Ħamrun Spartans.
Andrew Cohen’s charges beat Floriana 1-0 in their first-round meeting and last Friday sealed their place in next season’s Premier League with a 3-1 win at the National Stadium.
However, coach Cohen admitted that the FA Trophy semi-final will surely put in front of them a determined Floriana team, keen to reach the final.
But that will not change the approach of his team who will be going out with all guns blazing in search of a win.
“Our approach for this match will not be different to what we have taken in our previous meetings against Floriana,” Cohen said.
“In both the first-round fixture and last week’s match we want to win at all costs. We are aware that we are facing the second strongest side in the country but we have a duty to try and do our best to lead the club into the cup final.
Special moment
“There were people who argued that we were favoured by luck when we beat Floriana this season. Could be but in these matches one can win or lose.
“We know what is our potential, and that we are starting as underdogs in this match but at the same time we have the belief that we can win as we have done on more than one occasion this season.”
Cohen said that success in this season’s FA Trophy would be a special moment not only for the club but also their president Sharlon Pace who has been the mastermind behind the team’s rise in the top flight in recent years.
“For us, the FA Trophy is a competition that we are keen to win for more than one reason,” Cohen said.
“Obviously it would be a huge achievement for us to go all the way, but personally such success would be the perfect gift to our club president Sharlon Pace who worked relentlessly in the last few years to put Gżira United at the top of Maltese football.”
