City eclipse Spartans to go seven clear

Ħamrun Spartans 0
Valletta 2
Borg 56; Temile 88;

There are no prizes to be won for occupying a top-three position in the BOV Premier League standings at the end of the first round but Valletta, the title favourites, and top-six hopefuls Ħamrun Spartans went into their clash yesterday fully intent on gleaning maximum spoils to stay on the right track.

The rivalry between the two sets of fans, stemming from the days in the eighties and early nineties when they challenged for the top prizes in Maltese football, gave their first-round meeting an extra edge.

It was the Valletta fans who ambled out of the stadium in a buoyant mood last night as second-half goals from man-of-the-match Steve Borg and Omonigo Temile earned them a 2-0 victory that extended their lead at the top to seven points.

Valletta were worth their success yesterday as they were the livelier side despite missing three key players. For all their commitment, the Spartans struggled to make an attacking impact, only showing signs of life up front after the Citizens had taken the lead early in the second half.

There were no changes in the Ħamrun Spartans’ line-up from Friday’s 2-0 victory over Vittoriosa Stars.

Steve Bonnici was the Spartans’ holding midfielder in a 4-1-3-2 formation which was spearheaded by Gaetan Spiteri and Marcelo Pereira.

Jesmond Zerafa, the Valletta coach, was compelled to make three changes to the team that figured in a goalless stalemate against rivals Floriana. The absence of Brazilian defender Ramon, suspended, and Jonathan Caruana, injured, left Zerafa with no option but to field a makeshift defence as Ian Azzopardi partnered Steve Borg in central defence, Roderick Briffa manned the right flank and Dyson Falzon filled in at left-back.

Jamie Pace was another notable absentee for Valletta yesterday as the midfielder was slapped with a one-match suspension for four yellow cards.

The early exchanges were bereft of constructive football as the two sides struggled to find their passing range.

Valletta enjoyed a distinct edge, possession-wise, but their efforts were undone by the poorness of their final ball. On 17 minutes, Denni floated an intelligent pass towards Scerri but the lanky striker could only get a faint touch to the ball as he tried to shoot.

Omar Borg made his first intervention of the evening on 19 minutes when he dived low to stop a central shot from Sammut after the Spartans had partially cleared a Briffa cross from the right.

With the Spartans lacking the early spark to pose problems to Valletta, the latter stayed in command. Swooping on Denni’s low cross, Scerri poked the ball into the net after Borg had parried away his initial attempt but assistant referee Philip Agius had already raised his flag to signal the Valletta striker’s offside position.

Moments later, Scerri’s drive was off target. Valletta should have broken the stalemate 10 minutes from half-time when Denni raced past Mark Anthony Bonnici and into the box before picking out Edmond Agius but the latter failed to make contact with the ball.

The hitherto subdued Spartans almost stunned Valletta five minutes from half-time as Pereira’s right-wing cross sailed towards Massimo Grima who met the ball with a powerful header which Andrew Hogg touched onto the crossbar.

On the brink of half-time, the Spartans protested for a penalty after Pereira went down following a challenge from Azzopardi but referee Chris Lautier, back to home comforts after his ‘brief stint’ in Scottish football, saw nothing untoward.

During half-time, the atmosphere in the stands grew more vocal as the sets of fans goaded each other with a torrent of derogatory chants.

Ten minutes into the second half, Bonnici did well to anticipate Scerri after a fluid City move had seen Edmond Agius supply the final pass into the box. The Spartans’ reprieve was temporary as Valletta took the lead from the ensuing corner. Sammut rolled the ball to Denni whose swerving cross flew towards the six-yard box where Borg used his height to nod the ball home.

D’Amato responded to Valletta’s opener by hauling off Bonnici for Peter Anizoba, a forward.

Midway into the second half, Hogg did well to fist away Ryan Fenech’s dipping cross-shot from a free-kick. From the resultant corner, taken by David Camilleri, Grima sent the ball wide.

The Spartans increased their attacking endeavours as the match drifted into its final stages.

Grima squandered a golden chance when he flicked the ball wide after Bonnici’s long ball from a deep position appeared to take him by surprise. On another occasion, Anizoba headed against the side-netting.

Denni, one of Valletta’s better performances, threatened to put the result beyond Spartans with a sweetly-struck drive from the distance but Borg saved.

With six minutes left, the Spartans’ evening took a turn for the worse when Hrubsa’s push on the steaming Scerri earned him a second yellow card followed by the red. But, barely two minutes later, numerical parity was restored when Valletta’s Falzon was dismissed after getting a second booking for hacking down Ryan Fenech.

There was no end to the drama as, with two minutes left, the Citizens doubled their lead. Pouncing on a half-clearance by the Spartans defence, Denni released substitute Omonigo Temile and the Nigerian winger hammered past Borg.

In stoppage time, Hogg denied the Spartans a goal when keeping out Roderick Fenech’s piledriver.

Ħamrun Spartans
O. Borg-6.5, M.A. Bonnici-6 (90 M. Mifsud), M. Grima-6, Roderick Fenech-7, Ryan Fenech-6, M. Pereira-5, G. Spiteri-5, J. Vukanic-5, M. Hrubsa, D. Camilleri-5, S. Bonnici-5 (64 P. Anizoba).

Valletta
A. Hogg-7, R. Briffa-6.5, S. Borg-8, G. Agius-6 (59 O. Temile-6), E. Agius-5.5, I. Azzopardi-6, I. Zammit-6 (84 K. Magro), Denni-7.5, K. Sammut-5.5, D. Falzon, T. Scerri-6 (90 S. Arab).

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Yellow cards: Roderick Fenech; Bonnici; Falzon; Hrubsa; E. Agius.

Red cards: Hrubsa (Ħ) 84; Falzon (V) 87.

BOV player of the match: Steve Borg (Valletta).

Attendance: 2,512.