Ħamrun Spartans 2
Pereira 40, 44 pen.
Valletta 3
Cruyff 11; Priso 17 pen., 63 pen.
Valletta were embroiled in a rollercoaster match yesterday but their up-and-down showing did little to appease their restless fans.
Having squandered a two-goal lead in last Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Tarxien, Valletta again pressed the self-destruct button as the plucky Ħamrun Spartans got over an edgy start to cancel the Citizens' early advantage with two goals in four minutes.
With agitation seeping from the side of the enclosure housing the City faithful, the Whites descended into a state of confusion in the final stages of the first half.
Confronted by a fired-up Spartans side, Valletta found it hard to stamp their authority but their second-half improvement yielded a winner, albeit from a contentious penalty. The Spartans felt hard done by the manner of their defeat as they really made a fight of it.
Ton Caanen refrained from wielding his axe and limited himself to just one alteration as Kevin Sammut was preferred to Dyson Falzon. For the second match in a row, captain Gilbert Agius was left on the subs' bench.
Spartans coach Steve D'Amato made two changes from the team that lost 2-0 to Qormi. Mark Anthony Bonnici and Clyde Camoin replace the injured Aaron Attard and Neville Galea.
The opening exchanges produced little goalmouth action but Valletta seized the lead after 11 minutes. Sammut's cross from the left flew straight to the unmarked Cruyff who glanced his header past Ivan Casha after the Dutchman had evaded the offside ploy.
In next to no time, Andrew Hogg did well to smother away an awkward Marcelo Pereira cross-shot but from the prospect of levelling the score, the Spartans fell 2-0 behind.
Valletta were awarded a penalty after Casha was adjudged to have brought down Scerri in the box. Priso made no mistake from the spot.
Galvanised by their two-goal flurry, Valletta established a stronghold as the Spartans struggled to find their passing range. On 26 minutes, the Citizens threatened to make it 3-0 but Cruyff headed over from close range after getting on the end of a cross from Edmond Agius.
Just past the half-hour mark, Spiteri tested Hogg with a well-struck volley but the Valletta goalkeeper proved equal to the task.
Ħamrun began to show themselves more often in Valletta territory as the first half progressed.
Nine minutes from half-time, Hogg flapped at Camoin's corner but the City defence cleared the danger.
The Spartans revived their hopes when, with five minutes of the first half left, Mawete threaded a pass through the City defence and into the path of the sprinting Pereira who despatched his shot past Hogg.
Memories of Valletta's sudden collapse against Tarxien flooded the minds of the City fans and, barely four minutes after Pereira's goal, the Whites conceded a penalty. Their defence was again caught at sixes and sevens as Spiteri picked out Mawete who was held back by Luke Dimech.
Referee Chris Lautier pointed to the spot and cautioned the City captain before Pereira drilled his penalty past Hogg.
The Valletta players were barracked by their own fans as they walked off the pitch at half-time. A group of City supporters were so irked by their team's slump that they considered leaving the stadium in protest. Some made their way towards the exit but others changed their mind and continued to watch the match from the south stand.
Caanen brought on Steve Borg for Justin Grioli at the start of the second half.
Five minutes into the second period, Sammut spurned a glorious chance to put the Citizens ahead, spooning his shot over the bar.
Valletta stepped on the gas pedal. Sammut volleyed over from Priso's cross but, at the other end, the Spartans came closest to scoring. Rupert Mangion's free-kick from the right was met by the towering Roderick Fenech who headed just wide.
Two minutes past the hour, Valletta's faltering optimism rose as the referee ordered a second penalty in their favour after Jamie Pace appeared to have been shoved by Gaetan Spiteri when in the act of shooting. Having been booked for time-wasting, Priso kept his cool to drill his shot past Casha.
Six minutes past the hour, Caanen withdrew Scerri and threw on Ian Zammit.
Mawete then almost restored equilibrium but his header sailed just wide. Hogg pawed away a dangerous Camoin corner as Valletta continued to betray signs of uneasiness.
From another corner, substitute Diego Armando Cucciardi produced a dipping header that dropped inches wide of the far post.
Six minutes from time, Gilbert Agius, who had just replaced Cruyff, served Priso but the latter hit wide from a good position.
Ħamrun Spartans
I. Casha-5, M.A. Bonnici-5, R. Mangion-6.5, R. Fenech-6, M. Micallef-5, M. Barbara-5.5 ('74 D.A. Cucciardi), M. Pereira-7.5, G. Spiteri-6.5, M. Hrubsa-6.5, J.B. Mawete-6.5, C. Camoin-6.5.
Valletta
A. Hogg-6, S. Bezzina-5, J. Grioli-4 ('46 S. Borg-6.5), L. Dimech-5, K. Scicluna-5, D. Priso-7, K. Sammut-6.5, J. Cruyff-5.5 ('81 G. Agius), T. Scerri-6 ('66 I. Zammit-5), J. Pace-4, E. Agius-5.
Referee: Chris Lautier.
Yellow cards: Casha; Dimech; Scicluna; Priso; Fenech; Spiteri.
BoV player of the match: Marcelo Pereira (Ħamrun Spartans).