A Ricardo Costa goal on the 111st minute gave Tarxien a narrow 3-2 victory over a fighting Hamrun side in a most entertaining match at the Centenary Stadium.
The two sides appeared to be well balanced and they both played attacking football, creating a good number of scoring opportunities to keep the crowd on tenterhooks till the end.
The match could have gone either way, but at the end, it was Tarxien who advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to that Costa goal which separated the two teams at the end.
The first half was quite lively, with the Spartans taking an early lead. The Rainbows responded but Hamrun were solid at the back and goalie Omar Borg was rarely tested seriously.
So strong were the Spartans at the back that Tarxien’s Brazilian strikers Bueno, Costa and Dos Santos Rodrigues never had the opportunity to have a decent shot at goal.
The Spartans also played the better football and it was no surprise that they created a lot more than their opponents.
With Ryan Fenech and Rupert Mangion masters of midfield and spraying good passes, they should have added at least another goal.
They paid dearly for their lapses as Tarxien, in fact, were a completely transformed side after Pacheco came in for Rodrigues.
The Rainbows equalised early and then went on to take the lead after hitting the posts twice.
But it was not over yet as the Spartans fought back to get back on level terms.
But it was not enough as Tarxien eventually won the tie with a goal in extra time.
The match sprang to life quickly as on the fourth minute Hamrun took the lead, Gaetan Spiteri firing the ball into the net on a second attempt, after having a shot blocked by the goalie.
Tarxien’s reply arrived on 13 minutes when Orosco Anonam headed Manwel Caruana’s corner wide.
Hamrun almost doubled on the 29th minute. Spiteri set Agius outside the area and the latter’s bombshell was turned to corner in style by Cassar.
On 33 minutes, it was again Hamrun who went close to adding a second. Mangion set Vukovic on the right. The latter’s cross was met by Marcelo Pereira, but his header went agonisingly wide of the target.
Five minutes later, Cassar was again a protagonist when he tipped the ball away from Pereira, after a dangerous low cross from Vukovic.
Borg then saved a poor Costa grounder in two attempts. Just before the interval whistle, it was Justin Grioli who went closest to an equaliser with a fine dipper that just missed the post.
As the second half started, the Spartans again missed a clear chance when Pereira dashed upfield unhindered only to see Cassar rushing out of his charge to block his effort.
The Rainbows replied immediately and managed to equalise on 53 minutes, when from a Costa cross, Bueno’s header hit the upright and Everton Antonio Pereira was at hand to hit home.
A minute later, Spiteri missed a sitter for the Spartans. He even dribbled round goalie Cassar, but his feeble effort was cleared to corner from over the line by Grioli.
On 56 minutes, Tarxien appealed in vain for a penalty when a Bueno effort appeared to have hit Bonnici’s hands on the goal line.
Hamrun also had claims for a penalty turned down when Pereira fell in the area in a tackle with Grioli.
Tarxien went close on 61 minutes with a Bueno header hitting the crossbar. They were rewarded for their efforts a minute later when Bueno crossed low into the area for Costa to control the ball and shoot past a helpless Borg.
Hamrun were not yet beaten and on 68 minutes they equalised. From a Lee Agius cross, Cassar missed the flight of the ball and Marcelo Pereira headed in.
Six minutes from the end, the Spartans should have scored again. Marcelo Pereira had a shot blocked by the onrushing Cassar. From the rebound, Ryan Fenech hit the ball badly with an open goal at his mercy.
The match petered out in a draw and in extra time, both teams appeared tired following their earlier efforts.
But Tarxien managed to score again on the 111st minute when Pacheco passed perfectly to Ricardo Costa who had no difficulty in planting the ball past Borg.
Hamrun tried to get back on level terms, but Tarxien resisted even if they had to play the last four minutes without Pacheco who was shown the red card by Mr Arciola.
Hamrun S.: MA Bonnici, M. Grima, R. Mangion (D. Kokavessis), R. Fenech, L. Agius, M. Pereira, G. Spiteri, J. Vukovic, D. Camilleri (N. Mifsud), O. Borg, S. Bonnici.
Tarxien R.: D. Cassar, S. Sadowski, M. Caruana (R. Mintoff), E.A. Pereira, R. Costa, C. dos Santos Rodrigues (S. Pacheco de Oliveira), M. Tanti (S. Hili), D.M. Bueno, L. Galea, J. Grioli.
Referee: A. Arciola. Asst refs: K. Borg, W. Debattista. 4th official: AM Sant.
Scorers: G. Spiteri 4, E. A. Pereira 53, R. Costa 62, M. Pereira 68, R. Costa 111
Yellow cards: S. Pacheco, R. Fenech, R. Mintoff, J. Grioli, E.A. Pereira, G. Spiteri, M.A. Bonnici,
Red card: S. Pacheco