VALLETTA 3
HAMRUN SPARTANS 0
Valletta: H. Bonello, S. Borg, R. Camilleri, S. Malano, J. Borg, M. Piciollo (M. Mifsud), E. Beltre', R. Saleh, R. Muscat, K. Nwoko (J. Cruz), M. Alba (D. Dos Santos)
Hamrun S: J. Galea, T. Caruana, T. Espindola, T. Souza, D. Zerafa, C. Zaccardo (J. Galea), A. Machado (M. Criaco), D. Camilleri, L. Micallef, G. De Castro, A. Nilsson (R. Vella)
Referee: E. Grech
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, L. Portelli
Additional asst.refs: L. Portelli, T. Farrugia Cann
4th official: R. Vella
Scorers: K. Nwoko 33, 77, S. Malano 41
Yellow cards: J. Zerafa, R. Camilleri, H. Bonello
Player of the match: S. Malano (Valletta)
TMI top 3: 1. S. Malano 2. K. Nwoko 3. T. Souza
Attendance: 2,690
Valletta are this morning the new BoV Premier League leaders, with only two matches still to play.
Their pursuit of the title has now taken a big boost after two goals from Kyrian Nwoko and another by Santiago Malano gave them victory over Hamrun Spartans and saw Doncic's men move two points above Balzan, who floundered against Tarxien Rainbows on Saturday.
It was also Valletta's fourth successive win as they remain unbeaten in their last 11 league matches.
Valletta played with intensity and organisation for the entire 90 minutes and deservedly won the game. They must now feel they are within touching distance of the crown.
Hamrun's recent good run of three consecutive wins was only interrupted by a Sliema defeat before the break.
Yesterday the Spartans, sitting comfortably in mid-table, lacked fluency in attack or enough cohesion in midfield and even lost their initial composure in defence after Valletta opened the score and came at them with pace and purpose.
Valletta had Enmy Beltre' back in defence, with Kyrian Nwoko starting in attack instead of Prosa.
Valletta. as expected, started the match like a hurtling train, pushing players forward, but were facing stern resistance from an organised Hamrun rearguard that, for the first half hour, allowed them only shots from a distance. Nwoko had completely missed the target with his rising shot before efforts by Alba and Piciollo from outside the area, found the Hamrun keeper Jake Galea alert and equal to task.
Although Valletta's opener on 33 minutes perhaps gave the Citizens a deserved lead for all their dominance, it carried a hige slice of luck. Kyrian Nwoko's shot from outside the area took a deflection off a Hamrun player and deceived the goalkeeper.
But there was no denying Valletta a second four minutes before the break. Santiago Malano pounced on a Piciollo cross from the left inside the area, to change step and hit over keeper Galea's stretched body.
At 2-0 the mood was euphoric at halftime.
Valletta remained the more dominat side even after the interval and could have increased their margin if Piciollo did not faile to make decent conatct with a Beltre' cross from the right.
Piciollo then went past Zaccardo from the left but his shot was blocked by the Hamrun keeper. And when Alba found space inside the Hamrun defence, he missed the target.
Piciollo was withdrawn with some muscle problem on 66 minutes to be replaced by Michael Mifsud.
Valletta remained aggressive and direct and, not surprisingly, Hamrun were wiped out on 77 minutes. Their keeper Galea could only parry Muscat's long range drive and as Mifsud obstructed his vision, Kyrian Nwoko was quick to score Valletta's third goal of a one-sided contest.
SLIEMA WANDERERS 2
FLORIANA 2
Sliema W: G. Zammit, S. Bianchardi, M. Muchardi, F. Temile, A. Ni Nortey, E. Agius, M. Sansone, F. Qeros (R. Spiteri), R. Correa (P. Xuereb), J. Mintoff, K. Shaw (K. Ameli)
Floriana: I. Akpan, S. Nayar, E. Pepe, E. Ruiz, S. Pisani, M. Vella, J. Cabral, J. Pisani, A. Cini, M. Fontanella, E. Marcelina
Referee: S. Spiteri
Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, T. Debono
4th official: M. Apap
Scorers: J. Cabral 14, M. Sansone 32, M. Fontanella 44, E. Agius 88
Yellow cards: M. Fontanella, S. Nayar
Player of the match: M. Fontanella (Floriana)
TMI top 3: 1. S. Nayar 2. J. Mintoff 3. M. Sansone
Thanks to first half goals by Juninho Cabral and Mario Fontanella, Floriana looked heading towards a victory that would have put them in fourth place with Birkirkara. But leading 2-1, with only two minutes of normal time remaining, Edmond Agius scored a late equaliser for Sliema Wanderers to deny the Greens in this 'Old Firm' clash.
Although hardly impressive, Floriana showed confidence and smoothness. They were helped by a sluggish start by Sliema, conceded an equaliser and then regained the lead before the end of the first half.
In the second half they were prepared to sit back and have their opponents have much of possession as Marcelina, Nayar and Vella intelligently ran the midfield, but were ultimately punished by their too laid-back approach.
Sliema's play for most of the first period was slow and bitty. They conceded two soft goals in between Sansone's temporary equaliser and altough lacking sharpness, they enjoyed more possession in the second half, with their never-say-die attitude yielding some reward at the end.
Separated by only one point before kick-off, both teams went into this match in a vein of good form. The Wanderers had registered three consecutive wins and were unbeaten in their last four matches.
The Greens meanwhile had obtained three wins and three draws from their previous six league matches.
They had Steve Pisani returning to the side from suspension, with Dylan Grima making way.
Floriana made the breakthrough towards the quarter hour, with practically their first attack. Juninho Cabral chased a long abll inside the Sliema half. Keeper Zammit rushed out of his line to clear but collided with team mate Shaw in the process, allowing Cabral to avoid Bianchardi and score in an unattended goal.
The softness of the concession was of concern to Sliema while it made Floriana look particularly comfortable.
The Greens had a call for a penalty justly turned down after Fontanella's cross hit Mintoff's arms inside the area on 22 minutes.
There was certainly cause for satisfaction that, while far from their best, the Wanderers' heads stayed cool. They managed to level matters past the half hour. Correa might have been fractionally offside when he picked Temile's through pass, wide on the left, and effected the cross for Michele Sansone to shoot in from close range after Jurgen Pisani had failed to clear the ball.
But, with halftime looming, Floriana soon provided further cause for regret for the Wanderers, who were again caught utterly exposed at the back. Nayar headed the ball low inside the Sliema area, and Mario Fontanella, running in behind the static Shaw, dispatched the ball unerringly past the helpless keeper Zammit.
Sliema improved with the introduction of Kilan Ameli at the start of the second half instead of Shaw, with Sansone dropping deep in defence.
Floriana however tightened up their midfield and Sliema, lacking enough creativity, often struggled to find openings.
Play had become so tepid that it was quite a shock when after 75 minutes, on a Correa free kick, Temile's back-heeled effort was cleared off the line by Cini.
And after effecting a double substitution, putting in Peter Xuereb and Ryan Spiteri, Sliema finished by far the stronger side. They had already gone close on 80 minutes as Muchardi's effort was blocked and Ameli skied the ball after good work by Mintoff on the right.
Mintoff was again the instigator as Sliema's efforts were finally rewarded two minutes from the end. He ran down the right and provided a perfect cross which was met by Edmond Agius who stooped low to head past keeper Akpan and earn Sliema a deserved point.