Balzan: F. Tabone, M. Mendy, S. Giglio (J. Borg), R. Conceicao, R. Forace, J. Pace (M. Licari), D. Grima, P. Calcado, M. Deanov (B.Bondin), Y. Camilleri, E. Da Silva
Hamrun S: A. Cassar, M. Grima (D. Camilleri), R. Spiteri (L. Grech), T. Vella, G. Calabretta, A. Ivanov, R. Fenech, L. Vitanov, A. Yoshev, A. Vergilov, D. Zerafa
Referee: K. Azzopardi
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, C. Francalanza
4th official: M. Borg
Scorers: G. Calabretta 13, T. Vella 21, E. Da Silva 26, P. Calcado 48 pen, M. Licari 90
Yellow cards: R. Conceicao, D. Grima, G. Calabretta, J. Pace, M. Mendy, S. Giglio, B. Bondin, A. Yoshev, R. Forace
Player of the match: E. Da Silva (Balzan)
TMI top 3: 1. E. Da Silva 2. M. Grima 3. P. Calcado
Attendance: 622
Balzan’s impressive run under coach Ivan Zammit continued yesterday with a win against Hamrun Spartans.
This match looked heading towards another draw, similar to the first round fixture between these teams, but the dtermination by stubborn Balzan to take thre paly to their opponents, earned them a dramatic late win to lift them to sixth place in the standings and leaves them unbeaten in their last seven league matches.
Balzan had turned the tide completely in the second half after a shoddy start of the match . Trailing by two goals within the first 20 minutes, they pulled one back through Elton Da Silva before halftime and then equalised through a Calcado penalty, early after the restart.
Substitute Malcolm Licari scored a dramatic winner at the end of normal time to break the Spartans’ hearts.
Hamrun were themselves to blame for surrendering a two-goal lead, as they handed the initiative completely to their opponents after an encouraging start.
Hamrun should have been buoyed by the return of Vitanov in midfield after suspension.They looked menacing through the middle, with the effective distribution of Massimo Grima and the fast movement of Terence Vella, Gianluca Calabretta and Ryan Spiteri almost always having the better of a slow Balzan rearguard in the early stages.Gianluca Calabretta gave them an early lead short of the quarter hour and Terence Vella, who only last week made his international debut at senior level, was back amnong his side’s scorers, after four barren matches, to double their advantage. However they faded out completely in the second 45 minutes.
Hamrun were initially in particularly good touch, with the desire to improve upon two back-to-back defeats. Zerafa was presented with the first opportunity after ten minutes when, on Ivanov’s counter cross from the right his tame effort was blocked.
Three minutes later, the Balzan defence was opened wide by Grima’s long ball, for Gianluca Calabretta to lob it over the onrushing keeper Tabone from the right.
Balzan were close to drawing level hardly one minute later as Calcado thumped his shot against the bar, with ball cleared into a corner.
But Hamrun were soon back to business with Calabretta almost getting the better of Conceicao when chasing a ball through the middle.
On 21 minutes, Grima played another long ball for Terence Vella to chase and shoot past the helpless Balzan keeper. The two-goal cushion provided a breather for the Spartans until Balzan were resurrected midway through the half. A Hamrun clearance hit Pace and fell invitingly to Calcado, who advanced unhindered but was blocked by keeper Cassar. Elton Da Silva however followed up to hit in the loose ball.
Both sides produced two other opportunities before the half was over. On the half hour Vella darted inside the Balzan area on an Ivanov cross, but his shot narrowly missed the target. Six minutes later Calcado’s dipping curling free kick from the left forced keeper Cassar to stretch himself and turn the ball over into a corner with an elastic save.
A much revamped Balzan improved after the restart, even because Conceicao was moved upfield, with Mendy shifting to centre back and Dylan Grima dropping to right back. They were helped by the award of an early penalty, three minutes into the second half for Fenech’s foul on Conceicao and Pedro Calcado tucked it away with a delicate strike to restore equilibrium.
Balzan regrouped after that, also putting in Bjorn Bondin at the back. Hamrun had lost all of their first half fervour and gradually fizzled out as a Calcado free kick was squeezed towards Elton, whose header was parried by keeper Cassar and then cleared off the line.
On 74 minutes Elton ran through the Hamrun defence, his p0ace took him past Fenech but he shot low against the foot of the post.
Balzan looked physically the stronger side towards the end and the Spartans were struggling tro hold on to the draw. Keeper Cassar saved well on Conceicao and then denied substitute Malcolm Licari from close range.
Zerafa wasted a rare chance for the Spartans, shooting Yoshev’s cross wide and with Massimo Grima substituted, Hamrun collapsed to concede Balzan’s third goal on the stroke of full time. That came courtesy of substitute Licari who beat keeper Cassar with a looping header at the top corner, on Forace’s cross from the left.
It was a bitter end for Hamrun on a miserable afternoon.