This battle of the basement went in Hamrun’s favour as the Spartans now move away from the bottom of the standings and hand the wooden spoon to Mosta, still winless after six matches.

Toneto Porcari scored the decisive goal soon after the resumption, after Hamrun had been denied three times by the woodwork in the first half.

Mosta played better during the first half and severely tested the Hamrun keeper on more than one occasion. But then they fizzled out completely in the second period as they looked woefully short of conviction, with their continuing failure to breach opposing defences.

They made only one change from the side that went down narrowly to Tarxien Rainbows the previous week. Sheldon Grech started the match in midfield as Alex Cini was relegated to the bench.

Mosta tried to exploit the width with Ian Zammit and Mello Da Silva’s interchanging on the flanks in the early stages. But they looked mostly dangerous with shots from a distance. Each time, Hamrun’s keeper Omar Borg was up to task to deny them with excellent saves.

After 11 minutes, Borg turned Zammit’s drilling free kick from outside the area round the post for a corner.

Midway through the half, the Hamrun custodian stretched himself to hold out Grech’s shot, from a short Zammit free kick, destined at the top corner. And just before the break, on Bogdanovic’s deep cross from the right, Mvondo’s looping header caught Borg off his line but the goalkeeper stretched back to tip the ball over the bar.

But for large parts of a fairly sterile encounter, Hamrun dominated. With only one point to show at kick-off, it was important for them to demonstrate an aggressive intent. The Spartans were forced to make changes. In the absence of the suspended Ribeiro, Toneto Porcari was given a start in attack. Rupert Mangion was named among the substitutes and Carlo Polli played as defensive midfielder with Steve Bonnici filling the right back slot.

On 13 minutes, from a Sammut short cross, Fenech headed against the post. On the quarter hour Porcari netted but the goal was disallowed for offside. On 26 minutes, Spiteri persisted outside the Mosta area, passed the ball to Porcari who clipped the upright. The woodwork denied Hamrun for a third time on 37 minutes, after a Grima free kick was turned into a corner by keeper Debono and from the ensuing Grima free kick, Polli’s shot rebounded off the post.

Hamrun went close again five minutes from halftime with Calabretta’s powerful drive which was fisted out by the Mosta keeper with some difficulty.

Hamrun broke the deadlock ten minutes after the restart, after Mello Da Silva had mishit substitute Bajada’s cross from the right and Mosta’s chance went to waste.

Grima’s grounder was deflected by Toneto Porcari, the ball hitting the inside of the post to deceive keeper Debono.

The goal enabled Hamrun to control the proceedings and defend their lead with minimal difficulty in the second half, especially because Mosta failed to make a reaction.

It was only in the late stages, after Hamrun had put in Mangion for the injured Fenech and dropped Grima at the back, that Mosta caused the Spartans some anxious moments. Shots from Bogdanovic and Zammit went tantalisingly wide and ten minutes from the end, from a Zammit corner, Mello Da Silva’s headed effort was cleared off the line by Sammut.

Mosta J. Debono, L. Martinelli, K. Farrugia (A. Cini), A. Mello Da Silva, N. Bogdanovic, I. Zammit, K. Magro, A. Borg, Y. Ossok, M. Mvondo (F. Aboulezz), S. Grech (J. Bajada)

Coach O. Spiteri

Hamrun S O. Borg, S. Bonnici, R. Fenech (R. Mangion), M. Grima, N. Gacesa, M. Gauci, C. Polli, K. Sammut, G. Calabretta (L. Agius), G. Spiteri (D. Zerafa), C. Toneto Porcari

Coach J. Zammit

Referee A.M. Sant

Asst.refs I. Spiteri, J. Camilleri

4th official P. Caruana

Scorers C. Toneto Porcari 55

Yellow cards M. Gauci, N. Bogdanovic, K. Farrugia

Player of the match Massimo Grima (Hamrun S)

TMI top 3 1. O. Borg 2. C. Toneto Porcari 3. A. Mello Da Silva