Rejuvenated Vittoriosa seek Spartans scalp

Vittoriosa Stars have set their sights on prolonging their positive run in the BOV Premier League when they meet Ħamrun Spartans at the Tedesco Stadium this evening (kick-off 7.30 p.m.).

The Cottonera outfit have been a revitalised lot in the past few weeks. After opening their account with a goalless draw against Floriana, Vittoriosa went on a four-match unbeaten run that featured an impressive victory over Hibs and commendable 1-1 draws against champions Birkirkara and Marsaxlokk.

Winston Muscat, the Vittoriosa coach, is hopeful that his team will keep the momentum going against the Spartans.

“The past few weeks have been very positive for us,” Muscat said.

“The players have shown character and that certainly bodes well for the remainder of the campaign.

“I’m expecting a very tough match against Ħamrun but if we maintain the same level of performance of the last few weeks I’m confident that we can get another good result.”

Vittoriosa’s Brazilian striker Edison Tarabay will complete his two-match ban while Mauro Brincat has been ruled out for six weeks after suffering a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury.

For the Spartans, this evening’s match is the first league outing for three weeks as their game against Valletta, originally scheduled to be played last weekend, has been put back to next Wednesday for security reasons.

Steve D’Amato, the Ħamrun coach, will have used the short break from league action to rally his players after their below-par display in the 2-1 defeat to Marsaxlokk earlier this month.

“The match against Vittoriosa is a good opportunity to put ourselves back in a strong position for a top-six place,” D’Amato said.

“I was disappointed with our performance against Marsaxlokk as the team looked disjointed. We’ve worked hard in the last few weeks to address the shortcomings we showed in the last games and I hope that the team will return to its best.”

The Ħamrun mentor is still without Scottish forward Dene Shields who is still battling a knee injury.

Veteran midfielder Rupert Mangion is rated as doubtful with flu. Central defender Aaron Attard returns to the first team after recovering from a knee injury.

Programme
Today: (Tedesco Stadium) 7.30 p.m. Ħamrun Spartans vs Vittoriosa Stars.
Tomorrow: (National Stadium) 2 p.m. Hibs vs Sliema Wanderers; 4 p.m. Valletta vs Floriana.
Sunday: (Hibs Stadium) 2 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Qormi; 4 p.m. Birkirkara vs Tarxien Rainbows.