Qormi 6

Hamrun S. 0

Qormi: M. Farrugia, R. Sammut, M. Bartolo, J. Chetcuti (L. Sciberras), J. Farrugia, J. Bondin, J. Pereira, K. Thackray (S. Wellman), T. Caruana, A. Bello-Osagie, V. Kouadio (C. Farrugia)

Coach: S. Azzopardi

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

Coach: S. Sultana

Referee: M. Spiteri

Asst.refs: S. Attard, A. Grech

4th official: P. Caruana

Scorers: A. Bello-Osagie 45+ pen, 49, J. Pereira 65, M. Bartolo 68, J. Farrugia 88, R. Sammut 90 pen

Yellow cards: K. Thackray, L. Agius, R. Hartvig, J. Chetcuti

Player of the match: Jorge Pereira (Qormi)

TMI top 3: 1. A. Bello-Osagie 2. J. Pereira 3. M. Bartolo

Qormi needed only a point to make sure they preserve their Premier League status next season. In the process, they picked up three as they routed Hamrun Spartans with a remarkable second half performance after a turgid first 45 minutes.

The match reserved its best for the second period, when Qormi scored five times and Hamrun missed a crucial penalty, at a point when they still trailed their opponents by two goals. That could have put them back in the running.

This was Hamrun’s first defeat in the Relegation Pool but the Spartans know that survival could be achieved if Mqabba fail to beat Marsaxlokk today or if they win their next match against Tarxien Rainbows.

After two consecutive wins against Marsaxlokk and Tarxien Rainbows, Qormi dropped Kenneth Scicluna for this match, to make way for Jonathan Bondin. Hamrun had the still injured Dene Shields absent as well as Massimo Grima starting on the bench.

But both teams, stretched away from the danger zone, did not exert themselves much during the first 45 minutes on a sunny afternoon at Ta’Qali and even Qormi’s lead through a penalty, with halftime looming, came in a rather fortuitous manner.

Quite understandable, although not excusable, the match started in uninspired style and the first 25 minutes were totally barren, devoid of any goalmouth action, let alone any shot on target.

When Thackray fouled Gauci on the edge of the area, Ribeiro fired his free kick well over the Qormi goal.

On 26 minutes Chetcuti played a short pass inside the Hamrun area to Pereira whose low diagonal drive forced keeper Borg to stretch himself and block on the ground.

Hamrun only threatened on 34 minutes from a Sammut corner from the left. The ball bounced freely in front of Ribeiro who hit horrendously over from a very promising position.

But a penalty, conceded by Hamrun in a sloppy manner, deep into two minutes of the half’s added time, lifted the tedium.

Pereira cut towards the middle from the byeline on the left, chased by Calabretta who pushed him to the ground. Abubaker Bello-Osagie placed the ball well, only just beyond Borg’s reach as the Hamrun keeper had guessed the direction of the ball.

Qormi’s confidence blossomed after the restart and it took them only 22 minutes to score three more goals in quick succession to put the issue beyond doubt, even after Hamrun had contrived to miss a penalty.

Three minutes into the second half Pereira turned at will inside the Hamrun area before creating space for Bello-Osagie to beat keeper Borg with a low diagonal shot.

Hamrun should have pulled one back five minutes later when Camilleri’s free kick fell to the unmarked Spiteri but his shot on the turn inside the eight-yard box was ably blocked by keeper Matthew Farrugia.

Then again on 55 minutes, Agius fell under Kouadio’s aerial challenge on a high ball and the Spartans were awarded a penalty. Ribeiro though thumped his shot against the bar and the chance went to waste.

Qormi soon punished them and after Bello-Osagie had put his shot narrowly off target on Chetcuti’s pass, he turned provider for Jorge Pereira who darted past the static Hamrun defence from the right to beat Borg with a low and instinctive strike on 65 minutes.

Three minute later, Bello-Osagie played the ball towards Pereira who advanced down the left, rolled the ball square and invitingly to the unmolested Matthew Bartolo who lobbed the ball over the keeper’s stretched arms.

With Hamrun fading completely from the game, superior Qormi continued to run riot. Calabretta blocked a Pereira effort on the goal line and keeper Borg turned Pereira’s shot into a corner.

Two minutes from the end, Pereira lobbed the ball intelligently for substitute Luke Sciberras to run through the middle but he shot against the underside of the bar and behind the keeper but as the ball rebounded in play, Joseph Farrugia headed in to make sure.

There was still time for Qormi to score their sixth in added time, courtesy of another penalty, after Bonnici handled the ball inside the area, and Roderick Sammut converted from the spot.