Hamrun S 0

Mqabba 0

Mqabba may live to rue dropping two points yesterday in a match they richly deserved to win but wasted chances galore against inferior Hamrun Spartans as they keep up their struggle for survival.

The match ended goalless but it offered endless thrills as well as misses.

For long periods, Mqabba were flirting with third place in the Relegation Pool as they created enough chances to have won the game but fluffed them all in equal measure, especially in the first half.

In the late stages, they even ran the risk of losing the match as Hamrun carved out their best three chances and almost snatched a win that looked beyond them.

The Spartans were buoyed by three victories on the trot but yesterday they gave a below par performance, notably missing two regulars, the suspended Gaetan Spiteri and the injured Dene Shields. Coach Sultana handing starts to Ryan Spiteri and the returning Steve Bonnici.

Mqabba, who had lost against Qormi in the previous match, had Julian Briffa starting the match instead of Rene Duca and David Azzopardi filling the void of the suspended David Fenech. Mauro Bonnici played in an advanced role behind the strikers as Mazzitelli only made a late appearance.

After Hamrun had clipped the foot of the post with Ribeiro’s cross shot from near the byeline on the right, Mqabba should have taken the lead as they carved two good scoring opportunities within three minutes, with the Hamrun rearguard looking highly unsettled.

After ten minutes, Mamic won possession against Calabretta and went inside the Hamrun area from the left but shot wide when faced by keeper Borg.

Three minutes later, Azzopardi put Nwoba clear through the middle but the Mqabba forward missed the target.

It took Hamrun, who were giving away possession too cheaply in the final third, almost 20 minutes to come up with a threat of their own and that came when Spiteri played the ball to the advancing Calabretta who put his diagonal shot wide.

Mqabba kept squandering chances as they went close on three occasions in the last five minutes of the half. Grima robbed Calabretta of the ball, lobbed it towards the unmarked Nwoba who again fluffed the chance, shooting wide.

Then Bonnici put Mamic through inside the area but the Serb hit feebly from a promising position, only for Nwoba to have his shot turned over the bar into a corner by the Hamrun keeper.

Mqabba remained the better team even after the restart. Mamic played the ball to Calleja whose shot was blocked into a corner.

Nwoba’s shot from the edge of the area, narrowly missed the target.

In between, Ribeiro went past Psaila but his shot was easily saved by the Mqabba keeper Calleja.

Hamrun substituted Grima with Zerafa on the hour but failed to maintain their shape as Mqabba showed more hegemony in midfield and provided good service for Mamic and Nwoba. The latter was foiled by the keeper on 68 minutes as he blocked him into a corner.

But when the goal failed to come by, Hamrun almost exploited the gaps at the back and could have even won the game themselves. Ribeiro played a perfect pass to put Spiteri clear, only for Grima to clear.

And on 74 minutes Ribeiro pounced on a Sammut through ball inside the area, shot over the onrushing keeper but missed the target.

Mqabba put in Mazzitelli for Mamic for the last ten minutes, but Hamrun again went closest of pilfering the points eight minutes from the end when Ribeiro presented Spiteri with most glaring of opportunities with a pass from near the byline but the young lad alos contrived to miss and the stalemate prevailed.

Hamrun S O. Borg, G. Calabretta, D. Camilleri, S. Bonnici, R. Hartwig, M. Grima (D. Zerafa), L. Agius, K. Sammut, R. Spiteri, A. Ribeiro, M. Gauci

Coach S. Sultana

Mqabba K.Calleja, J. Briffa, M.A. Psiala, B. Timotic, P. Grima, C. Calleja, M. Potezika, M. Bonnici, D. Azzopardi (J.P. Muscat), B. Mamic (T. Mazzitelli), J. Mwoba

Coach C. Mizzi

Referee K. Azzopardi

Asst.refs M. Scerri, J. Camilleri

4th official A. Arciola

Yellow cards J. Briffa, A. Ribeiro, D. Azzopardi, B. Timotic, M.A. Psaila, R. Hartwig, M. Potezika

Player of the match M. Potezika (Mqabba)

TMI top 3 1. M. Potezika 2. D. Azzopardi 3. A. Ribeiro