St Andrews 2 

Hamrun S 3 

A very entertaining game with the result remaining uncertain till the dying minutes.

Hamrun built up a healthy 2-0  lead in the first period, but a rally after the resumption by St Andrews kept the crowd present on their toes and biting their nails.

St Andrews created the first action. Daniel Camilleri served Ben Zahra on the left flank and Hamrun keeper Jean C Agius neutralised the ball from his low cross.

At the other end a one-two between Ryan Cassar and Dylan Busuttil finished with the latter missing the upright by inches.

St Andrews came close in the 8th minute when Robin Cutajar pounced on a faulty clearance and, after advancing, missed the bar by inches from outside the area.

St Andrews ‘keeper Jake Galea then saved a shot from outside the area by Ryan Spiteri after a cross from the left by Gary Cauchi. Minutes later Agius saved on Zahra after a cross from the right by Clyde Cumbo.

Hamrun then had a good chance through Cauchi but he skied the ball with only Galea to beat from two metres.

In a fast counter-attack by St Andrews, Jacob Falzon served Zahra with a through ball inside the area and Agius denied him with a diving save to a corner.

Four minutes before the interval Hamrun opened the score. Melvin Busuttil served Spiteri with a long and high through ball and he made the most of a defensive indecision, darted between two defenders and after entering the area scored with a rising shot.

Hardly a minute later they doubled when Cauchi was fouled on the left flank. Spiteri floated a perfect high ball in the area from the free kick and Diego Zammit scored from inside the area.

Four minutes after the restart, Hamrun scored a third goal as Cauchi served Spiteri who dribbled past an opponent and scored with a hard grounder.

In the first action by St Andrew they won a corner kick on the right flank which was well taken by Daniel Saliba and after it was partly cleared, Neil Pace Cocks drove the ball over the bar from the rebound.

Jake Galea was kept busy by the Hamrun forwards. First he saved a shot from inside the area by Jim Cilia after a Cauchi cross from the left and later another shot from inside the area by Spiteri.

St Andrews reduced the gap in the 59th minute. Cumbo scoring direct from a free kick to make it 1-3.

Hamrun kept insisting and Spiteri tried his luck from outside the area but Galea denied him with a fine diving save to a corner.

Three minutes before the end, St Andrews narrowed the gap further when Pace Cocks was fouled outside the area and again Cumbo scored with another rising shot from 40 metres as Agius failed to grasp the ball. A minute before the end of normal time they came very close to obtain a dramatic equaliser when Pace Cocks was again fouled outside the area and from Cumbo’s free kick Max Thake failed to apply the killer touch from two metres.

Referee: Erin Yurtserver

Player of the match: Ryan Spiteri (Hamrun S)