HAMRUN SPARTANS 1 QORMI 0
Hamrun S: A. Cassar, G. Azzopardi, R. Spiteri, T. Vella, G. Calabretta (L. Grech), A. Ivanov, R. Fenech, L. Vitanov, A. Yoshev, A. Vergilov, D. Camilleri
Qormi: M. Farrugia, K. Thackray, R. Sammut, M. Bartolo, V. Pisani (S. Sirito), A. Bello-Osagie, L. Sciberras, E. Zarate, G. Spiteri, J. Bondin (M. Gauci), L. Grech (J. Chetcuti)
Referee: K. Azzopardi
Asst.refs: R. Vella, S. Attard
4th official: E. Azzopardi
Scorers: R. Spiteri 76
Yellow cards: V. Pisani, T.Vella, J. Chetcuti, A. Cassar
Player of the match: R. Spiteri (Hamrun S)
TMI top 3: 1. E. Zarate 2. L. Vitanov 3. L. Grech
Attendance: 965
Qormi succumbed to their fourth league defeat in their last five matches that leaves them marooned at the bottom end of the standings, above the two newly preomoted teams, Melita and Rabat.
This match was pretty dismal stuff and went in Hamrun’s favour with a Ryan Spiteri goal after 76 minutes. The bluntness shown by both sides in front of goal, offered little excitement. Both Qormi’s Vincenzo Pisani and Hamrun’s Terence Vella, who had been scoring regularly for their teams recently, were yesterday starved of service and were completely subdued by the respective defences.
For most of a mundane first half, Qormi looked slightly the better team although both sides lacked cohesion.
Hamrun emerged slightly improved after the restart and put more effort into their game to finally put some gloss on a shamblic affair and lift themsleves to seventh place.
Kick off was delayed by a good seven minutes after some power failure in one of the flood lights at Victor Tedesco Stadium
Hamrun had the suspended Massimo Grima and the injured Daniel Zerafa missing and gave starts to Glenn Azzopardi and Ryan Spiteri. Vitanov and David Camilleri were the two anchor men in front of the defence, almost always involved in Hamrun’s build-ups.
Qormi kept an unchanged side despite defeat against Melita in the previous game, meaning that Gaetan Spiteri was facing his former team mates, and his brother Ryan, since changing club. Given a free role, Zarate was Qormi’s play maker, giving a glimpse of his technical qualities as he spurred his side forward in the uopening minutes.
He started the move in midfield after five minutes, for Spiteri to play a diagonal through pass for the advancing Grech to shoot straight on keeper Cassar.
Qormi created the next best move on 24 minutes. Fenech lost possession inside his area and Grech rolled the ball in the path of the unmarked Bello-Osagie who contrived to shoot against the foot of the post from close range.
Qormi remained sharper on the ball and did most of the running against flat footed opponents, lacking ideas and commitment in equal measure.
But Qormi were hardly productive, as they raked long balls forward. With halftime looming, they went close with a Thackray free kick from the left, which the Hamrun keeper Cassar could only parry but Zarate shot the loose ball off target.
Hamrun went into the second half in more lively fashion. On an Ivanov cross, Vella had his effort deflected into a corner and from the resultant corner kick, Fenech shot over.
But Qormi soon retook their grip on the game. Towards the hour, Zarate’s cross from the left fell to Leighton Grech, who went past Yoshev but placed his shot narrowly wide.
With Calabretta out for Hamrun and Leighton Grech also substituted by Qormi for the last half hour, the match seemed heading nowhere.
But on 76 minutes, Hamrun struck the fatal blow. Substitute Luke Grech delivered a cross from the left which the Qormi defence cleared short. Ryan Spiteri, standing inside the eight-yard box, chested the ball and shot at the top corner, the ball hitting the underside of the bar before crossing the line, despite the goalkeeper’s futile effort to save.
Suddenly Qormi were back pedalling. Coach Zerafa put in Matthew Gauci and Sirito in the late stages, but lacking cohesion, Qormi couls only go close with a Sciberras powerful drive which keeper Cassar saved well to preserve the points for the Spartans.