Valletta-Hamrun S.                                          6-0

Valletta: Y. Cini, J. Caruana (D. Falzon), J. Vandelannoite, I. Azzopardi, L. Dimech, J. Gabriel, W. Barbosa, D. Toure,  R. Fenech (E. Agius), D. Bogdanovic, M. Mifsud

Hamrun S: A. Cassar, R. Fenech, E. Lattes, A. Borg, G. Azzopardi, R. Spiteri (A. Micallef), T. Vella, B. Guga(D. Zerafa), L. Lumbilla (L. Grech), M. Grima, D. Camilleri

Referee:  M. Apap

Asst.refs:  W. Debattista, A. Borg Cardona

4th official: C. Lautier

Scorers: D. Toure’ 3, 69, M. Mifsud 23, 45, J. Vandelannoite 33, L. Dimech 56

Player of the match: M. Mifsud (Valletta)

TMI top 3:  1. J. Vandelannoite  2. D. Toure’  3. M. Mifsud

Attendance: 679

Leaders Valletta hit six goals past Hamrun Spartans yesterday to consolidate top spot for at least another week.

As in the first round, this was a match too one-sided to be called a contestand and the final scoreline aptly reflected the gulf between the two sides. Valletta’s passing was slick and occasionally very clever, their running inventive and full of enthusiasm.

The champions had the still injured Roderick Briffa and the suspended Denni Dos Santos missing. Newcomer Daniel Bogdanovic, who played in the FA Trophy match against Nadur Youngsters, again kept his place in the starting line-up.

Valletta had plenty of good performers against a pallid Hamrun, a team without much of a clue about how to arrest the champions’ fire form. Michael Mifsud scored a brace, his first since Novembner, after seven barren league matches. Luke Dimech and Jason Vandelannoite scored their first goals since joining Valletta this season and Demba Toure’ continued to show glimpses of his scoring talents with another brace.

Hamrun were unable to counter Valletta’s primacy. Wofeul defending, especially from dead ball situatioins, led to the Spartans’ downfall as they have now conceded 12 goals in their last two matches. Yesterday they gave a start to Emiliano Lattes, replacing Gianluca Calabretta who left for Tarxien.

Valletta scored early to put their sorry opponents on the back foot for the remainder of the match as the Spartans showed no inspiration when on the ball.

Barbosa’s free kick from the left after three minutes was headed towards the middle by Vandelannoite and when pressed by Caruana, keeper Cassar palmed out the ball short for Demba Toure’ to hit in from close range.

Valletta’s sustained pressure pinned Hamrun inside their own box, with Barbosa and Gabriel having efforts blocked.

Past the quarter hour a Bogdanovic cross from the left, after going past Grima, caught the Hamrun keeper out of place but the unmarked Gabriel and Toure’ failed to capitalise. Toure again headed wide on a Bogdanovic cross.

But Valletta always looked likely to score more goals. On 23 minutes Hamrun again failed to defend a Valletta set piece. Michael Mifsud ran in to meet Barbosa’s free kick, which sailed above a static Grima, and beat keeper Cassar from close range.

Shortly after, Fenech missed a sitter when the ball rolled loose after keeper Cassar had blocked the advancing Toure’, but shot wastefully wide in front of a gaping goal.

But Valletta added further goals before the half was over.

On 33 minutes, following Mifsud’s corner from the left, Toure’s firm header was held out by keeper Cassar, only for Jason Vandelannoite to toe poke the loose ball.

Twelve minutes later, Toure’ played the ball forward for Michael Mifsud to beat the Hamrun keeper at the top corner with a drilling shot from the right.

The pattern of the game did not change after the restart. Altough Valletta somehow eased off a bit, Hamrun collapsed to concede two more goals. Defender Luke Dimech turned attacker as he headed in Fenech’s corner from the right on 56 minutes.

Towards the hour Valletta even afforded to make a double substitution, pulling off Caruana and Fenech.

They still remained potent going forward and on 69 minutes, on Vandelannoite’s cross from the right, Demba Toure’ stooped low to head in his second of the match and his side’s sixth.

Hamrun, looking miserable and ragged, showed up in the late stages with a Lumbilla long range effort going wide and Vella hitting the foot of the post with a low diagonal drive after his foray down the right. But that could not stem the tide.