Hamrun S. 2
Valletta 8
Hamrun S: A. Curmi, A. Borg (L. Grech), D. Camilleri (R. Brightwell), M. Grima, T. Vella (D. Zerafa), G. Calabretta, A. Ivanov, R. Fenech, L. Vitanov, A. Vergilov, N. Bozhov
Valletta: M. Bartolo (Y. Cini), R. Briffa (K. Magro), D. Falzon, J. Caruana, S. Borg, W. Barbosa, R. Fenech (E. Agius), J. Gabriel, L. Almeida, D. Dos Santos, M. Mifsud
Referee: M. Spiteri
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, A. Grech
4th official: A. Arciola
Scorers: M. Mifsud 4, 13 pen, 14, 16, 52, 74, R. Fenech 7, D. Dos Santos 25, D. Zerafa 32, M. Grima 87
Yellow cards: A. Curmi
Player of the match: Michael Mifsud (Valletta)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Mifsud 2. D. Dos Santos 3. R. Briffa
Attendance: 1,187
Unable to shrug off the upset of a poor performance and heavy 4-1 defeat against Mosta last week, Hamrun Spartans were yesterday hit by an even worse goal deluge by champions Valletta.
It was a sorry sight for ailing Hamrun, totally outplayed and outmuscled, going down so heavily against superior opponents, hit by eight goals as Valletta carried too much ammunition. Michael Mifsud, showing all his predatory instinct, scored no less than six of them, including a penalty to end up his side’s hero.
This goal feast served as a right warm-up for Valletta before the direct top-of-table clash against Hibernians this coming weekend.
The margin could have even been wider, were it not for some plucky saves from keeper Anthony Curmi as Valletta were also twice denied by the woodwork.
Valletta totally dominated the first half, scored at will and massacred Hamrun’s non-existent defence. They scored at regular intervals and were six goals to the good before the half hour.
Valletta’s blitz caught Hamrun’s defence flat footed, despite the return of Roderick Fenech and Anton Vergilov at the back.
The champions opened their account after four minutes. Michael Mifsud latched on Briffa’s pass forward on the right and beat keeper Curmi with a diagonal shot.
Three minutes later, Falzon, returning in his side’s starting line-up, provided the cross from the left and Ryan Fenech connected well to hit Valletta’s second from inside the Hamrun area.
Two minutes later, keeper Curmi repelled Mifsud’s shot before the Hamrun keeper’s gaffe on 12 minutes gave away a penalty as he bundled Almeida inside the area after fumbling a deep Briffa cross. Michael Mifsud tucked it away.
Hamrun were completely out of sorts against Valletta’s fast power play from the flanks, with Borg and Camilleri totally at pains on the flanks. Valletta pressed forward incessantly and before the quarter hour, Mifsud again nipped in from the blind side on the right to knock in Falzon’s cross from the left with a routine strike.
The onslaught continued as Hamrun were exposed all too easily. On 16 minutes Briffa again provided Mifsud with a through ball, advancing from the middle to slip the ball from beneath the keeper’s outstretched body.
Curmi twice was called into action to deny Almeida and Denni . However, that only delayed the inevitable which came on 25th minutes. Barbosa rattled the bar with his thunderous shot and Denni Dos Santos volleyed in his side’s sixth, and most spectacular, from the rebound.
Before the half hour, Curmi footed out Denni’s first timer on Ryan Fenech’s pass and Vergilov hoofed away the ball before crossing the line as Almeida had gone past the Hamrun keeper with his forage from the left.
Hamrun took some relief, hitting a goal on 32 minutes. Substitute Daniel Zerafa, who had gone in for Terence Vella, concluded the Spartans’ good move, getting the better of Caruana before shooting past keeper Bartolo.
That did little to tame Valletta’s fury though. The Spartans’ keeper repelled Barbosa’s fierce drive on the rebound, after Ryan Fenech’s effort had been blocked, as the match turned almost into a shooting practice for Valletta.
On 36 minutes Mifsud skied the ball on Denni’s testing cross from the right and on the stroke of halftime, Hamrun almost conceded the seventh goal but Barbosa was again unlucky, denied by the upright with his shot from the left.
But there was no denying Valletta on 52 minutes. An Adrian Borg defensive blunder on the edge of his own penalty area allowed Mifsud to take possession and beat the helpless Curmi for precision and power.
Ryan Fenech swivelled inside the Hamrun area but the goalkeeper blocked his effort with his outstretched foot and Denni shot the loose ball wide.
Fenech made way for Edmond Agius after that, as Valletta gave also some rare playing time to Kurt Magro and reserve keeper Yenz Cini.
The champions remained dominant although they grew more erratic in their passing and shooting, showing signs of complacency. Mifsud skied the ball from Denni’s cross but atoned for that miss on 74 minutes. Denni set Gabriel on the left, advancing towards goal but blocked by the keeper with the ball rolling in the path of the unmarked Mifsud to hit in his sixth on a memorable night for him and Valletta.
Massimo Grima’s goal, three minutes from time, after his long range shot skidded over the grounded keeper Cini, served only for statistical purpose.