Spartans spoil Mqabba's perfect record

Mqabba 1
Hamrun Spartans 2

Hamrun Spartans moved off the bottom of the table after recording their first victory of the season at the expense of the erstwhile unbeaten Mqabba.

The 2-1 victory for the Spartans meant that from the four matches played last weekend, three teams, Qormi, Naxxar and Hamrun, succeeded in collecting their first win with San Gwann failing to do the same after conceding an injury-time equaliser against Senglea.

Undoubtedly, Mqabba were only a shadow of the side whose positive football helped them take maximum points from their first three matches.

Hamrun were without veteran striker Stefan Sultana while Mqabba had to make do without Marlon Briffa.

The first half was a nervy, mediocre affair with both teams more focused on defensive stability rather than trying to score. It was not that the teams opted for man-to-man marking but both adopted the same strategy of starting to press in midfield.

This meant that the main sources of creativity in midfield, players like Albert Busuttil and Nicolò Baldacchino for Mqabba, and Evano Briffa and Rupert Mangion for Hamrun, were finding it hard to express themselves.

After four minutes, the Spartans went close to scoring when Mangion and Steve Meilak combined well but the former's low shot finished inches wide of goal.

The next scoring opportunity for Hamrun came on 40 minutes when, from a Mangion free-kick, Roderick Fenech rose well to head the ball just over the crossbar.

After the change of ends, Mqabba started well. In the first minute of the second half, John Paul Muscat passed to Robert Southward from a corner but the latter's drive just missed the target.

Hamrun went ahead in the 49th minute when Briffa floated over a free-kick and as Mqabba custodian Kris Calleja was slow to react, Ryan Fenech rushed in to head home.

Atanas Marinov's team went close to doubling their lead 18 minutes from time. Meilak served Mangion who, with a body feint, allowed the ball to roll to Gaetan Spiteri but the effort from the Spartans' striker was saved by Calleja.

Three minutes later, Hamrun made it 2-0 when Mangion's cross was met by Meilak who slotted the ball home from close range.

Eleven minutes from time Mqabba pulled a goal back. Substitute Martin Anastasi played a neat one-two with Ikechukwu Chibueze who finished off the move by firing the ball home.

Mqabba pushed more men forward in their quest to grab an equaliser but Hamrun held on well to gain an important victory despite the injury setback suffered by Briffa, one of their best players, in the dying moments.

Mqabba: K. Calleja, M. Catania (E. Borg), A. Busuttil, J. Delia, R. Southward, J. Abela (M. Anastasi), N. Baldacchino, M. Borg, J.P. Muscat, I. Chibueze, M. Cocks.

Hamrun: M. Falzon, B. Timotic, A. Attard, E. Briffa (M. Vella), K. Borg, R. Fenech, G. Spiteri (C. Cacciattolo), R. Fenech, R. Mangion, N. Galea, S. Meilak.

Referee: Saviour Tanti.

Man of the Match: Evano Briffa (Hamrun).