The emergence of an intriguing FA Trophy final showdown between Hibernians and Sliema Wanderers has become the main talking point in local football circles.

Hibs stayed on course to retain the FA Trophy after edging Valletta by the odd goal in three in a tense, but predominantly, lacklustre semi-final on Friday.

Sunday's second semi-final was also a tight, cagey affair with no goals in regular time. The first half of extra-time was in keeping with the preceding 90 minutes but the tide turned decidedly in favour of Sliema Wanderers in the second period thanks to a quickfire brace from an unlikely source.

Stefan Giglio had only found the net once in the Premier League but on Sunday, the 28-year-old midfielder served up a timely, albeit overdue, reminder of his ability to ghost into the box and hit the target.

With a penalty shoot-out looming large, Giglio put Sliema ahead with a swerving shot from just inside the box and, barely three minutes later, sealed his side's passage into the final with a firm grounder.

Two days earlier, Hibs' comeback bore the mark of their leading forwards, namely Andrew Cohen and Terrence Scerri but in midfield, the strong tackling and probing runs of Brazilian Andre Rocha Da Silva erected the platform for the Paolites' victory.

After a difficult season, Giglio and Da Silva, two strong-minded individuals, produced a performance reminiscent of the days when both were regarded among the best central midfielders in the Premier League.

More importantly, their return to form has raised the prospect of an eye-catching and potentially crucial duel for midfield supremacy come Friday's final at the National Stadium.

Although Sliema had to grit their teeth before swatting aside Msida's resolute challenge (3-0), Giglio was pleased with the manner of his side's victory.

"I'm delighted to be in the final of the FA Trophy," Giglio told The Times. "The semi-final was a difficult match but the coach told us beforehand that Msida would prove hard to beat.

"Their approach can make life uneasy for opponents, especially in defence, because they rely mostly on vertical balls to their foreign strikers. Most of the time, they just by-pass the midfield with long passes from the back to their forward players.

"The match itself was not very entertaining but cup ties are usually tense and scrappy. This was also the case in the first semi-final between Hibs and Valletta.

"Generally, I think we played reasonably well and our strong finish in extra-time reflected positively on our physical condition. Experience was another telling factor."

On a personal level, Giglio had justified cause to be happy with his decisive contribution after an injury-plagued season.

"I feel like a rejuvenated person after my performance on Sunday," Giglio reflected.

"It's been a very hard season for me. I was out of action for four months after suffering a delicate ankle injury in the opening months of the season.

"No-one can describe how I felt during the time I was recovering from my operation but I was intent on getting back to full fitness.

"My determination, coupled with the morale support I received from my team-mates and coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia, saw me through.

"On taking over the team, Farrugia reassured me that he was banking on me and that put my mind at ease."

Winner of two consecutive league titles and one FA Trophy in his first two years with Sliema, Giglio is eager to gain a second KO medal as a Wanderers player.

"We badly want to win the Trophy," Giglio remarked. "A big club like Sliema thrives on success and, having failed to win a top honour last season, we are determined to finish this one on a high.

"The final will be another hard game," the former Valletta midfielder added. "Hibs are a top club but what makes them most uncomfortable is that you really don't know what to expect from them.

"Personally, I don't like to play against them because they're so unpredictable. But, we have to concentrate on our game and make sure that our preparations are top-notch."

Sliema are likely to be without three key players on Friday after Jeffrey Chetcuti and Alex Muscat joined Italian defender Mauro Di Lello on the casualty list.

Muscat has suffered an ankle injury and is out of the final while the extent of Chetcuti's knee problem is still being assessed.

Giglio conceded that the loss of two players to injury would be a blow to Sliema but he is confident that they have adequate cover.

"Injuries to key players have an adverse effect on any team," Giglio said.

"It will be a setback for us if were to lose two players for the final, especially Jeffrey Chetcuti who is so experienced, but I think we have enough depth in our squad to cope with these absences."

The rumour-mill has it that Giglio could be on the move in the summer as his current contract has only weeks to run.

Sliema are reportedly keen to keep Giglio but talks on a contract extension are still on-going.

Giglio claims to be in no rush to make a decision on his future.

"I'm contracted to Sliema until the end of the season," Giglio said.

"At the moment, I'm only thinking about the FA Trophy because I really wish to end this season on a flying note.

"After my spell with CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, my ambition is to play overseas again. To this end, I've already established some contacts, notably in Bulgaria, but I will evaluate my options in the close season."

Like Giglio, Da Silva's season has been a rollercoaster ride but the Brazilian's difficulties were not caused by injuries.

After a season with Tarxien Rainbows in Division One, Da Silva completed his much-anticipated switch to Marsaxlokk last summer.

However, he struggled to hold down a regular place in Brian Talbot's team and was eventually loaned out to Hibs in January in exchange for Udo Nwoko.

Best performance

Da Silva has seen more first-team action since joining Hibs but the team's toils in the league somehow overshadowed his impact... until last Friday's semi-final.

"In the semi-final, we played with great determination," Da Silva said.

"For some time, our objective has been to win the FA Trophy and make up for a disappointing league campaign.

"We knew we had a tough job on our hands to beat Valletta and our task became more difficult once they took the lead.

"Valletta scored because of a mistake on our part but we came through that difficult moment. Going into half-time, we were calm and confident that we would still win this match."

Da Silva, who played on despite suffering a head wound midway into the second half, described his performance on Friday as "one of his best".

"It was definitely one of my best this season," Da Silva commented.

"This year, I found it hard to show my true form because I spent some time out of the team in the first half of the season and then I changed clubs.

"However, everything came good in the semi-final."

Looking ahead to the final against Sliema, Da Silva said:

"They remain one of the strongest teams in Malta because they've got great experience. It will be a tough game but we're desperate to win it.

"We're putting great effort in training to ensure the best possible build-up for the match. If we all play to the top of our abilities, I'm confident we will prevail."

Looking beyond Friday's showdown and the end of his loan stint with Hibs, Da Silva is anything but concerned about returning to champions Marsaxlokk.

"I'm fully focused on the final," Da Silva said.

"After the end of this season, I will return to Marsaxlokk because I have a contract with them for another two years. I have a lot of respect for the president, players and coach of Marsaxlokk."