Spartans hold nerve to claim top-six spot

Vittoriosa Stars 2
Edison 59; Grech 66;
Ħamrun Spartans 3
Kokavessis 39; Spiteri 78, 83;

Anyone with even the slightest amount of knowledge on local football will know that being a Ħamrun Spartans supporter nowadays is not for the faint-hearted – causes for celebrations are few and they have to labour to bring each dream to life. Ħamrun’s match against Vittoriosa was a case in point.

With 12 minutes remaining, their Championship Pool bid was on the deathbed as they were 2-1 down to Vittoriosa, yet Gaetan Spiteri’s two quick goals earned the erstwhile inept Ħamrun a top-six place.

It was a tense afternoon for the Spartans with emotions ebbing and flowing as scores from the other games were received on radios and mobile phones. Between 3 and 4.50 p.m., all four hopefuls had, at some point, a Championship Pool place in their grasp.

Roared on by a packed, passionate Ħamrun side, the Spartans started at a blistering pace and should have scored just after 10 minutes when Nikolai Chipev stung Jean-Mathias Vella’s fingers with a shot from an acute angle.

Ħamrun and Marsaxlokk, who began the day as favourites to land the last two Championship Pool berths, soon lost the advantage to Sliema and Qormi.

News had reached the Spartans supporters that the Blues had taken a 1-0 lead against Hibs and Qormi were 1-0 up against Marsaxlokk.

These scores dragged Ħamrun in the Relegation Pool and the Stars took the initiative, forcing two consecutive corners but Steve D’Amato’s compact defensive set-up was up to the task to keep Vittoriosa at bay after 20 minutes.

On the half-hour, Jeffrey Chetcuti headed wide from Alan Tabone’s corner. But in the 39th minute, a massive cheer erupted when Dylan Kokavessis played a one-two with Dyson Falzon on the edge of the box and clipped the ball over Vella.

That Vittoriosa were determined to stand in Ħamrun’s way had seemed to be the day’s only certainty as Steve Wellman outjumped new recruit Dragan Milovic but headed straight into Omar Borg.

Yet, it was Ħamrun who ended the half in ascendancy. Running on to a teasing ball from Spiteri, Kokavessis veered to his right to evade the onrushing Vella before shooting towards goal. His effort seemed destined to hit the back of the net but Wellman slid in to clear the danger.

The Spartans emerged for the second half with the theme tune from epic movie ‘Ben Hur’ booming around the ground.

Vittoriosa, though, were next to threaten, substitute Leighton Grech hitting the ball on the half turn at the far post. His effort sailed towards goal, forcing a smart save from Borg.

Ħamrun were starting to exert control and Vella had to be alert to dash out and block at the feet of Marcelo Pereira after 52 minutes.

When it looked like Ħamrun’s fairytale was about to come true, Luis Edison complicated matters for them. On the hour mark, Grech found space on the right and his cross was well met by Edison with a firm header which hit the post and rebounded for the striker to tap in.

Five minutes later, Grech played a wall-pass with Tabone and raced on to it to slot a second goal past Borg. The silence that followed this goal told its own story as, at that juncture, despite their best efforts, Ħamrun were down.

The Spartans desperately needed to hit back quickly and D’Amato made a change, introducing Peter Anizoba for Chipev. The Nigerian was in the thick of action right away as his brilliant cross was turned past Vella by Spiteri at the near post.

Nine minutes from time, Falzon ran with menace at the Vittoriosa defence and won a penalty from a befuddled Carlos Campagnoli to send the Spartans fans crazy.

The onus to save the day fell to Pereira but he blasted his penalty sky-high. But D’Amato’s side was not to be denied. Anizoba, an increasingly prominent presence in the game, sent in a left-wing cross which caught the Vittoriosa defence off guard as Spiteri headed home.

Emotions were still running high and there was a commotion in the section occupied by the Spartans’ fans when Pereira made way for Mead Mifsud, five minutes from the end.

­The Brazilian, still ruing his penalty miss, reacted to the taunts by a small number of Spartans supporters and was escorted to the dressing room.

Falzon had one last chance at the death but Vella brilliantly blocked his shot as Vittoriosa were reduced to 10 men when Grech received two yellow cards in quick succession.

Vittoriosa Stars
J. Vella-6, C. Micallef-5, J. Chetcuti-5, S. Wellman-4.5, K. Sammut-5, R. Grech-5 (46 L Grech), M. Maccari-6, Jorge-5, A. Tabone-6 (75 D. Cachia), L. Edison-7.5, A. Ewurum-4 (65 C. Campagnoli-4).

Ħamrun Spartans
O. Borg-6, D. Milovic-5, R. Mangion-5, D. Kokavessis-6.5 (76 L.J. Agius), M. Pereira-4 (85 M. Mifsud), D. Falzon-6, G. Spiteri-7, J. Vukanic-5, N. Chipev-5 (77 P. Anizoba-6), D. Camilleri-5, S. Bonnici-5.

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Yellow cards: Edison; Falzon; Campagnoli; Mifsud.

Red card: Grech (V) 89.

Missed penalty: Pereira (ĦS) 81.

BOV player of the match: Edison (Vittoriosa Stars).

Attendance: 1,000.