The 2018–19 Maltese FA Trophy was the 81st edition of the football cup competition. A record number of 67 clubs competed in the FA Trophy, with the first round starting on the weekend of 1–2 September 2018 and concluding with the final played on 18 May 2019.
Valletta were the defending champions, but lost in the final to Balzan on penalties, the latter winning their first ever FA Trophy title.
Format
The clubs in the Premier League, First Division, Second Division and Third Division together with those from the Gozo Football League are involved in the draws of the initial rounds. The 14 top-flight sides enter the fray in the third round. Matches which are level after regulation advanced to extra time and afterwards to penalties to determine a winner, when needed.
Clubs entering in this roundClubs advancing from previous roundPreliminary round (16 clubs) 9 clubs from Gozo Football League 7 clubs from Maltese Third Division N/AFirst round (18 clubs) 5 clubs from Gozo Football League 5 clubs from Maltese Third Division 8 winners from Preliminary roundSecond round(36 clubs) 14 clubs from Maltese First Division 13 clubs from Maltese Second Division 9 winners from First roundThird round(32 clubs) 14 clubs from Maltese Premier League 18 winners from Second roundFourth round(16 clubs) No other entries 16 winners from Third roundQuarter-finals(8 clubs) No other entries 8 winners from Fourth roundSemi-finals(4 clubs) No other entries 4 winners from Quarter-finalsFinal(2 clubs) No other entries 2 winners from Semi-finals
Schedule
The draws were made on 6 August 2018 and were conducted by Dr. Angelo Chetcuti, the General Secretary of the Malta Football Association, and Rodney Pisani, the Deputy General Secretary of the Association who leads the Competitions Department.
Round Date(s) Draw date Number of fixtures Clubs Preliminary round 1–2 September 2018 6 August 2018 8 67 → 59 First round 8–9 September 2018 9 59 → 50 Second round 26–28 October 2018 18 50 → 32 Third round 30 November and 2 December 2018 5 November 2018 16 32 → 16 Fourth round 26–27 January 2019 8 16 → 8 Quarter-finals 23 February, 4–5 May 201929 January 2019 4 8 → 4 Semi-finals 7–8 May 20195 May 2019 2 4 → 2 Final 12 May 2019 1 2 → 1
Preliminary round
Eight preliminary round matches were played on 31 August till 2 September 2018. The draw for the preliminary, first, and second rounds was held on 6 August 2018.
First round Nine first-round matches were played on 8-9 September 2018. The draw for the preliminary, first, and second rounds was held 6 August 2018.
Second round
Eighteen second round matches were played on 26 and 28 October 2018. The draw for the preliminary, first, and second rounds was held 6 August 2018. AAll teams from Maltese First Division and Maltese Second Division entered in the Second round.
Third round Sixteen third round matches were played on 30 November and 3 December 2018. The draw for the third and fourth rounds was held 5 November 2018. All teams from Maltese Premier League entered in Third round. The top six position from 2017-18 Maltese Premier League teams that are seeded in the third round of the FA Trophy. A total of thirty-two clubs will be involved in the draw.
Fourth round Eight fourth round matches were played on 26–27 January 2019. The draw for the third and fourth rounds was held 5 November 2018. In the Fourth Round there were 10 clubs from Maltese Premier League, 3 clubs from Maltese First Division, 2 clubs from Maltese Second Division and 1 club (Xewkija Tigers) from Gozo Football League left.
Quarter-finals
Four quarter-final matches were scheduled for 23 and 24 February 2019. The draw for the quarter-finals was held 29 January 2019. The eight clubs left were all from the Premier League. On 23 February 2019, four quarter-final matches were postponed amid safety concerns caused by the inclement weather, warnings of gale-force winds and hail-storm. The first FA Trophy quarter-final match between Pietà Hotspurs and Gżira United, at the Hibernians Stadium, was abandoned by referee Emanuel Grech in the 88th minute, and finished on 3 May 2019 at Ta' Qali National Stadium, 19:00, from the point of abandonment.
Semi-finals Two semi-final matches were played on 11 and 12 May 2019 at National Stadium, Ta' Qali. The draw for the semi-finals was held on 3 May 2019.
Final The final took place on 18 May 2019; Balzan reached their second FA Trophy final while Valletta reached their 24th final which they triumphed 14 times. The last time Balzan and Valletta met together in the FA Trophy was the previous season in the semi-finals when Valletta beat Balzan by 2–1.
Television rights
The following matches were broadcast live on TVM2 and on TSN (offered by GO):
Round TVM2 and TSN TSN Third Round Sliema Wanderers vs St. Andrews Floriana vs Ħamrun Spartans Fourth Round Birkirkara vs Ħamrun Spartans Quarter-finals Hibernians vs Valletta Semi-finals Balzan vs Birkirkara Gżira United vs Valletta Final Balzan vs Valletta
See also 2018–19 Maltese Premier League
References
External links Official FA Trophy website The Maltese FA Trophy on UEFA