Achieving promotion to a higher division is always an achievement but doing so after starting the season with deducted points is nothing short of a show of force.
Attard FC, who did just that last season, are now hoping to extend this into the Challenge League and coach Daniel Agius believes his side has the potential to have a good season.
Attard started last season in the National Amateur League with nine points deducted but ended it with a ten-point lead at the top of their group before a final game against Żurrieq FC in a deciding fixture for the winner of the Amateur League. They lost the match 2-1 but the two sides will have the opportunity to revisit past emotions when face each other again this weekend on Sunday (kick-off: 5.30PM).
Coach Agius, who joined the side last season after three seasons with Challenge League side Qrendi, said the promotion was motivated from their deducted points.
“Last season, we had a very tough challenge, but that is what makes even more interesting. The nine points were our motivation and we wanted to show the strength of our group of players, so much so that we finished the league unbeaten and 10 points ahead of the second-placed team,” Agius told the Times of Malta.