Cucciardi goal lifts Spartans

Pietà Hotspurs 2
Hamrun Spartans 3

Those Hamrun Spartans fans who braved the cold weather and ventured to the Centenary Stadium to witness their team's eagerly-awaited derby with Pietà Hotspurs yesterday evening were regaled with an early Christmas present.

This perfect gift came in the shape of three precious points at the expense of their neighbouring rivals after homegrown boy Diego Cucciardi came off the bench and grabbed a late winner in a 3-2 success.

Cucciardi's decisive intervention bolsters Hamrun's hopes of battling their way into the Championship Pool, lifting them as it did into seventh place, just one point adrift of Valletta and two ahead of Pietà. The latter are entitled to feel aggrieved by the outcome having created the better football for most of the second half after twice cancelling out the Spartans' lead.

Hardly 45 seconds from the start of the match had elapsed when the Spartans nosed ahead.

A shot-cum-cross by Ryan Fenech from a free-kick flew towards the unmarked Stefan Sultana, the all-time leading scorer in Maltese football, whose instinctive header from inside the box had the better of Andrew Hogg, the Pietà goalkeeper.

Italian striker Carmelo Sciuto threatened to alleviate the setback but his central drive was ably dealt with by Jason Cordina.

Pietà raised the tempo of their game as the first half gathered pace but for all the running of Martin Deanov, Claudio Calleja and Sciuto, they were finding it hard to penetrate the Spartans' rearguard.

On one occasion, a corner from Martin Deanov fell invitingly in front of David Camenzuli but his header lacked the power to trouble the Hamrun rearguard.

A rare incursion by the Spartans should have produced a second goal on 27 minutes but the returning Gaetan Spiteri, latching onto a through-pass from Fenech, saw his rising shot being palmed away by Hogg. The loose ball was cleared away by the Hotspurs but only as far as Maczerob Okoro whose piledriver from the edge of the area had goal written all over it but cannoned off the crossbar.

A costly miss that was for the Spartans as within minutes, Pietà restored equilibrium thanks to a stunning free-kick by man-of-the-match Martin Deanov from some 25 metres. The shot blazed its way into the top right-hand corner of the Hamrun goal with Cordina beaten.

Deanov's cracker had the effect of drawing the Spartans out of the torpor that littered their efforts after their early goal.

Ten minutes from the end of the first half, the Spartans were back in the driving seat, Rupert Mangion driving a low shot past the diving Hogg after receiving a pass from Ivan Zammit.

Towards the end of a generally entertaining first half, Sciuto attempted to surprise Cordina with an overhead kick that dropped wide of the far post. On the stroke of half-time, Sciuto's set-piece grounder was deflected just wide of Cordina's goal.

The score became level again two minutes into the second half, Pietà defender Camenzuli, completely unchallenged as he sped towards goal, poking the ball home after his initial effort was parried by Cordina.

Georgi Deanov brought on Ryan Camilleri for Carl Pulo and switched to a 4-3-3 formation. For the Spartans, defensive midfielder Adam Mansueto replaced Okoro who suffered a slight head wound in the first half.

On the hour, Pietà's Camilleri wriggled past John Debattista and Patrick Ndah but his low shot brushed the post. Hamrun's difficulties to improve their supply to their forward personnel were in sharp contrast to the menace exuded by the Pietà midfielders and strikers every time they roared forward.

Midway into the second half, Ilian Deanov played a fine pass to Camilleri who sidestepped Cordina on the edge of the area but his cross-shot was intercepted by Kevin Borg.

Pressure from the Spartans was increasing as the end of the match approached.

An intelligent pass from Mangion was frittered away by Nwankwo whose clumsy shot drifted wide. Moments later, Camenzuli, a rock in Pietà's defence, blocked Spiteri's rasping grounder.

Seven minutes from time, the incoming Silvan Ciscaldi was denied by a vintage save from Cordina and, seconds later, Ndah just managed to dispossess Camilleri at the far post.

The significance of these blocking acts assumed invaluable proportions when the Spartans struck four minutes from time courtesy of an angled drive by Cucciardi who had only been on the pitch not more than seven minutes.

In time added on, Hogg, searching for space inside the Hamrun box after his team were awarded a corner, got on the end of Deanov's cross but guided his header wide.

Pietà: A. Hogg-6, I. Deanov-6, B. Sciberras-6, D. Camenzuli-7.5, M. Deanov-8, C. Calleja-7, C. Sammut-6, A. Spiteri-6, C. Pulo-5 ('46 R. Camilleri-7), C. Sciuto-6 ('79 S. Ciscaldi), R. Grech-6.

Hamrun: J. Cordina-6.5, P. Ndah Ndubisi-6.5, J. Debattista-5 ('79 A. Attard), K. Borg-6.5, R. Fenech-6, M. Okoro-6.5 ('46 A. Mansueto-6), R. Mangion-6.5, E.C. Nwankwo-7, G. Spiteri-6, S. Sultana-6 ('79 D. Cucciardi), I. Zammit-6.

Referee: Alan Mario Sant.

Scorers: Sultana 1; M. Deanov 29; Mangion 35; Camenzuli 47; Cucciardi 86.

Yellow Cards: Zammit; Cucciardi; Mangion; M. Deanov.

BoV Player Of The Match: Martin Deanov (Pietà Hotspurs).