Hamrun S: S. Sullivan, M.A. Bonnici, D. Cucciardi, P. Monye (J. Debattista), S. Meilak, R. Mangion, N. Galea, L. Agius (C. Cucciardi), B. Timotic, G. Spiteri, A. Effiong

Valletta: A. Hogg (S. Darmanin), J. Grioli, J. Mifsud, K. Scicluna, S. Bezzina, D. Camilleri (K. Fenech), H. Backhaus, I. Zammit, F. Temile, S. Giglio, S. Monesterolo (D. Falzon)

Referee: A. Zammit asst.refs: K. Borg, I. Spiteri 4th official: C. Pisani

Scorers: G. Spiteri, S. Monesterolo, J. Grioli, F. Temile, D. Falzon, A. Effiong

Yellow cards: B. Timotic, S. Meilak, N. Galea

Player of the match: Frank Temile (Valletta)

TMI top three: 1. I. Zammit 2. D. Camilleri 3. B. Timotic

For all its merits, the Premier League does not often offer surprises and with Valletta consistently blowing away weaker opponents this season, nobody argues about how it is all going to end. This morning the Citizens enjoy a seven-point lead at the top with only four league games remaining, after putting Hamrun Spartans to the sword in a match that started rather shaky for the leaders but ended as a cruise.

Hamrun were unable to counter Valletta’s primacy despite all their first half efforts.

The Spartans, with a patched-up look, in the absences of the Fenech brothers and striker Sultana, fought gamely in the first half and managed to forge ahead, but then faded away to near ignominy after the interval and were beaten by sheer expertise at the end. And the strength in depth being among the more obvious differences between the teams, the suspension of Gilbert Agius hardly had any effect on Valletta’s game.

As expected, the leaders made the early running. After two minutes Timotic slipped on Camilleri’s long ball, allowing Zammit to advance unhindered, thumping his shot against the bar.

Chasing the game, Hamrun also came up with an early threat of their own, some ten minutes later. Spiteri put Effiong through from the middle, and he played the ball wide to the advancing Meilak who shot first time, hitting the side netting.

But Valletta were always dangerous going forward and the more likely to score. Bezzina’s cross shot was tipped into a corner with great difficulty by keeper Sullivan.

The goal however came on the other end, midway through the half. Timotic headed Cucciardi’s corner for Gaetan Spiteri, who nipped in and knocked the ball past Hogg to give the Spartans the lead.

That lasted only six minutes though. After some good work near the byeline, Temile

passed back to Zammit who played the ball square for Sebastian Monesterolo to beat keeper Sullivan with a low drive.

Valletta kept themselves well in control. A firm header by Monesterolo on Bezzina’s cross was blocked by Sullivan and on 38 minutes Backhaus headed Zammit’s cross to Temile, whose shot on the turn missed the target by inches.

Deep into the half’s added time Valletta missed another open chance. Zammit put Giglio through but, face to face with the Hamrun keeper, he failed to beat him as Sullivan blocked his shot on the ground.

Hamrun suffered another setback as Monye, who suffered from some muscle problems in the first half, did not turn up for the second period.

Within ten minutes Valletta scored their second. Camilleri played his freekick from the edge of area on the right out for Justin Grioli whose grounder from some 20 metres beat keeper Sullivan, going through many a pair of legs.

That lead galvanised Valletta’s stranglehold on the match as Hamrun remained largely bystanders. When Spiteri beat the Valletta offside trap on Effiong’s through pass, he was foiled by keeper Hogg and as the match wore on, the Spartans wilted under Valletta’s belated sustained pressure, Timotic remaining their only tower of strength in a flimsy defence.

Hamrun collapsed to concede two more goals in the final quarter hour. On 75 minutes Zammit played the ball square from left to Frank Temile to beat Sullivan with a low strike at the far post. Four minutes later, Dyson Falzon, who had only gone in as a substitute, again beat Sullivan with a curling left footer on Grioli’s pass.

Sullivan and the woodwork saved Hamrun from further derision in the late stages, the keeper holding out Camilleri’s powerful free kick and Temile’s effort hitting the bar, before Hamrun scored a consolation goal as Alfred Effiong chipped the ball over reserve keeper Darmanin on a Spiteri through ball.

But even that failed to arouse Hamrun’s dampened spirits.