High-flying Tarxien, Ħamrun aim to close in on top-six spot

A combative match beckons this evening as top-six candidates Tarxien Rainbows and Ħamrun Spartans go head to head at the Tedesco Stadium (kick-off 7.30).

With only one point separating the second-placed Tarxien and Ħamrun Spartans, one is tempted to suggest that these two sides are also vying for the right to be considered as Valletta’s main challengers for the title but their main concern is to strengthen their Championship Pool quest.

Tarxien appear to have an edge over the Spartans as the Rainbows are on a roll, having won four and drawn one of their last five league games, but Ħamrun are also on a high after their hard-earned derby win over Qormi lifted them to third.

Noel Coleiro, the Tarxien Rainbows coach, accepts that the momentum is with his team but he’s bracing himself for a tough match.

“Ħamrun may not have been playing well lately but they seem to have this ability to grind out wins,” Coleiro told The Times.

“They are a strong team and besides that, they have the advantage of playing at their home ground. I’m expecting a very balanced match. Maybe we have more attacking power than Ħamrun but they are dangerous opponents.”

Coleiro believes that two wins from the next two matches would all but assure Tarxien of a place in the Championship Pool.

“If we win this game, we will make a significant step towards the Championship Pool,” Coleiro reflected. “I believe that if we take maximum points from our next two matches, we will all but seal our place in the top six.”

Orosco Anonam, whose versatility has been a big plus for the Rainbows this season, is ruled out by suspension but otherwise Coleiro has a full squad at his disposal.

“Apart from Anonam, we have no selection problems,” Coleiro said.

“Our five foreigners are all available as Daniel Mariano Bueno is back to full fitness. Things are looking good but we are keeping our feet on the ground.”

Like his Tarxien counterpart, Steve D’Amato, the Ħamrun Spartans coach, is only focusing on his team’s Championship Pool bid.

“The league is so compact at the moment that we really can’t look too far ahead,” D’Amato said.

“Our aim is to gain as many points as we can in order to clinch a place in the Championship Pool. The race for the top six is still wide open because the gap between the teams is so small.”

D’Amato is buoyed by the return from suspension of defenders Martin Hrubsa and Roderick Fenech but Scottish forward Dene Shields and veteran midfielder Rupert Mangion are still sidelined with injuries.

After going down 2-0 to Valletta, Ħamrun bounced back with a 2-1 defeat of Qormi but their performance fell short of expectations, especially when considering that their opponents were reduced to 10 men after 30 minutes.

“Our performance (against Qormi) could have been better but at the end of the day it’s the result that counts,” D’Amato said.

“We’re not looking at the table at the moment, we’re just focusing on picking up the points to boost our chances of making the top six as early as possible.”

First round – Ħamrun vs Tarxien 3-1.

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