Hamrun S. 2
Tarxien R. 3
Hamrun S.: E. Bartolo, A. Capitelli, N. Micallef (C.Cutajar 82'), J. Soares, N. Leone, M. Fava, A. Scicluna (C.Galea 66'), K. Micallef, R. Santos Caetano (M.Gauci 60'), V. Alhinho, M. Cinquini
Tarxien R.: R.Briffa, T. Veronese, D. Mambouana (M.Ciantar 68'), B. Muscat, G. Camilleri, A. Azzopardi (M.Stanojevic 57'), A.Andrejic, S. Shaba, M. Tabone, L. Brincat (P.Kanzurov 90'), D. Zerafa
Referee: Alex Johnson
Asst refs: Edward Spiteri, James Muscat
4th official: Malcolm Spiteri
Yellow Cards: N.Micallef , Tabone, Shaba, Soares, Mambouana, Leone, Zerafa, Alhinho, Bartolo
Scorers: Scicluna 7' , Andrejic 37', 48', 76', Leone 74'
BOV Player of the Match: Aleksa Andrejic (Tarxien R.)
TMI Top 3 : 1. A. Andrejic 2. N. Leone 3. T. Veronese
Tarxien Rainbows finally registered their first win of the campaign when in an entertaining and tense encounter they defeated Hamrun Spartans by three goals to two.
Hamrun's last win dates back to October, in fact they had gone eight matches without a win. On the other hand prior to this match Tarxien who have made the bottom place theirs, had just a point in their account.
Hamrun had something to shout about when last week they reached the quarter finals of the FA Trophy after defeating First Division outfit Swieqi United by three goals to one.
The Spartans who had to do without the suspended Darren Borg and Clayton Failla gave a debut to Fava and Caetano Santos with Luca Brincat playing his first game for Tarxien.
In the first round match between the two sides Hamrun emerged winners by the odd goal in five.
As early as the 7th minute and Hamrun drew first blood. They countered through Nikolai Micallef who set Soares whose shot was blasted into an empty net by Andre Scicluna.
Tarxien responded through a number of corners and in one of them a shot by Thomas Veronese sailed just over the bar.
Hamrun were presented with a golden opportunity to double their lead when on 20 minutes a Nikolai Micallef shot hit Muscat's arm with the match official pointing to the penalty spot. But Ailton Soares had his shot saved by an agile Briffa.
Tarxien went near six minutes later when Andrejic tried a low shot from inside the area only to end inches wide off the upright.
But in the 37th minute Tarxien were on level matters. It was a good solo run by Aleksa Andrejic who after dancing around two Hamrun Spartans defenders rifled the ball past Bartolo.
Just on the re-start Tarxien took the lead. Mambouana won a tussle in the middle of the park, passed towards Aleksa Andrejic who after advancing fired a shot from the edge of the area which beat Bartolo all ends up.
Tarxien were now in control of the proceedings and in the 55th minute Andrejic went near to grabbing a hat trick but his diagonal shot was blocked bu an alert Bartolo.
Just past the hour a Veronese corner was headed by Mambouana and Zerafa missed a sitter heading just over the bar.
Hamrun drew level in the 74th minute when a Cinquini free kick was perfectly met by Nicola Leone whose shot gave Briffa no chance at all. But the Spartans joy was short lived as two minutes later Tarxien found the net once again and it was their hero Aleksa Andrejic whose curling shot from the edge of the area found the corner of the net with the Serbian hero grabbing a hat trick.
Till the end Tarxien kept Hamrun at bay with the final whistle finding them as a winning side for the first time this season.