Gzira U                 0
Hamrun S            0

Gzira U: J. Haber, P. Mambouana, N. Muscat, Z. Scerri (L. Brincat 74'), R. Soares, A. Cohen, J. Corbolan, C. Gatt Baldachino, E. Zarate Bilboa, T. Veronese, A. Samb

Hamrun S: E. Bartolo, A. Monticelli, E. Pepe, T. Caruana, R.S. Nayar, M. Ganci, M. Gauci, N. Doding Priso, K. Micallef, C. Calil, K. Tulimieri.

Referee: Philip Farrugia

Ass.referees: Luke Portelli, Dusan Petrovic

Fourth Official: Darryl Agius

Yellow cards: E. Zarate, A. Samb, A. Monticelli, C. Gatt Baldacchino

TMI best Three: 1. M. Ganci, 2. C. Calil, 3. E. Zarate

Player of the match: Massimo Ganci (Hamrun S)

Hamrun Spartans and Gzira United produced a scrappy affair yesterday at the National Stadium to earn a point in a very disappointing match. Both teams can and should produce better stuff as they showed in their opening match of the season.

Both teams were fresh from very good results and performances in their first outing, with Gzira demolishing tarxien 4-1 and with the Spartans having the better of Floriana with two second half goals.

Both teams were practically with the same eleven of their opening match with the Spartans without Argentine striker Henneberg who was one of the best in that game.

Unfortuanately yesterday the game never came to life, with scoring chances scarce indeed. Hamrun held the edge for long stretches of the first half, but the Maroons dominated the last minutes of the first half, even hitting the upright.

In the second half Hamrun continued to exhert pressure on their opponents but Justin Haber had only a couple of good saves to make. The Marons were found wanting especialy upfront with Amadou Samb having a very quite match and completely blotted out by Pepe.

The match had a very quite start with the Spartans having more of the ball, with Gzira appealing for a penalty on ten minutes when Amadou Samb lost balance following a Pepe tackle. Hamrun's first feeble attempt came from a Ganci freekick that was easily saved by Haber.

On 25 minutes the first decent move of the game with Njongo Priso beating a couple of opponents but his deflected shot just missed the base of the upright. On 36 minutes Hamrun had another opportunity with a well taken Nayar freekick well saved by Justin Haber.

Five minutes from the break the Maroons had their first attempt at goal when from a Veronese corner defender Mambouana towered above friends and foe but headed slightly over the bar. It was a good moment for Darren Abdilla's boys who were unlucky sixty seconds later when a Nikolai Muscat scorcher slammed against the upright.

In the first minute of the second half Calil crossed towards Ganci who tested Haber who saved well. On the hour a Nikolai Muscat half volley sailed over the bar. On 64 minutes Ganci dribbled past a couple of Gzira players before passing towards Calil whose grounder was well saved by Haber.

On 90 minutes Justin Haber made the best save of the match when he turned into a corner a shot on the turn by Calil.