JUAN MANUEL MATA and Alexis Ruano scored early and Valencia beat Getafe 3-1 in the King’s Cup final at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Wednesday.

It was Valencia’s seventh triumph since the competition began in 1902. Getafe, which has played in Spain’s top division for only four of its 62 years, has never won a major trophy.

Esteban Granero replied for Getafe with a penalty at the end of the first half only for substitute Fernando Morientes to head in Valencia’s third in the 84th.

“We deserve it, both the team and the fans. The third goal was important because it kept us calm and brought us the Cup,” Morientes told Telecinco TV station. Getafe substitute Fabio Celestini was ejected in the 90th for a wild tackle on Valencia midfielder David Silva.

Valencia’s triumph earned it a place in next season’s UEFA Cup and compensated for a dismal season in which it has dropped close to the Spanish league relegation zone.

It also relieved pressure on embattled coach Ronald Koeman, who has led the team to only 18 league points from his 21 games in charge.

Getafe, coached by Koeman’s former FC Barcelona teammate Michael Laudrup, was making its second appearance in the final of Spain’s knockout competition. Last season, it lost 1-0 against Sevilla.

The defeat also compounded a disappointing week for the modest club from the Madrid region. Last Thursday in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals, a 10-man Getafe conceded two goals in the final minutes of extra time to lose to Bayern Munich on away goals.

(SD-Agencies)