Spiteri and Alcorse take starring roles in thrillers

Marsaxlokk and Ħamrun Spartans had the last laugh in what turned out to be a fascinating race for the final two Championship Pool slots.

After the thrills and spills of Sunday’s top-six deciders, two players stole the headlines after delivering the goals that propelled Marsaxlokk and the Spartans into the Championship Pool.

Julio Alcorse has been a peripheral figure at Marsaxlokk this season but the Argentine was the team’s hero. He scored a vital, last-gasp equaliser that sealed the Blues’ passage into the Championship Pool.

While Alcorse was able to cherish a rare high in an otherwise low-key campaign, Gaetan Spiteri underlined his reputation as one of the Spartans’ most influential players as his late double gave his side a 3-2 win over Vittoriosa Stars.

“I’m delighted,” Spiteri told The Times. “It was a difficult, high-pressure match but I’m glad that my goals have helped Ħamrun to attain an important objective.”

His double went some way towards vindicating Spiteri’s loyalty to the Spartans. He dedicated his goals to his family and the fans.

“I dedicate these goals to my family and to all the people who love Ħamrun Spartans,” Spiteri said.

The 29-year-old admitted that, with Vittoriosa 2-1 up 12 minutes from time, he was starting to lose hope but his equaliser restored his and the team’s confidence.

“After we went 2-1 behind, I still believed that we could win but when the game entered its final 15 minutes, I thought our chances were remote,” Spiteri said.

“But, we managed to make it 2-2 and that gave us a massive lift. At 2-2, I was very confident that we would get the winner.”

The fans of the four teams still in the hunt for a top-six spot sought regular updates from Sunday’s matches but Spiteri said the Ħamrun players just focused on their task.

“At half-time, we were told that Sliema were beating Hibs 2-0 and Qormi were 1-0 up but out on the pitch, we were only interested in our game because we knew we had to win to make the top six.”

Although Ħamrun were elated to have booked a top-six berth, few, if anybody, envisaged that they would have to wait until the closing minutes of their last second-round match to reach their aim.

“I never imagined that we would go into our final second-round match with our top-six status still in the balance because we were playing well and getting the results earlier in the season,” Spiteri said.

“However, we had a very poor run, losing four matches in a row. It was a difficult time for us, also because we had important players sidelined with injuries.”

After playing a pivotal role in the Spartans’ successful Championship Pool bid, Spiteri wants the team to fight for higher targets.

“We have reached our top-six aim but we should now aim to finish as high up in the table as possible,” Spiteri said.

While Spiteri had 90 minutes to leave his indelible mark on Sunday’s game, Alcorse only had a mere two as he came on for Florent Raimy in stoppage time but the Argentine seized his chance by poking Marsaxlokk’s equaliser.

“Honestly, I wasn’t that optimistic when I came on very late in the game,” Alcorse said.

“I mean I have faith in my abilities but scoring a goal didn’t really cross my mind when I went in.”

Alcorse ought to take heart from his crucial contribution on Sunday but he gave a refreshingly honest answer when asked if he expected Sunday’s goal to revive his fortunes.

“I’ve had my ups and downs this season but I don’t think people will value my qualities differently just because I’ve scored this goal,” Alcorse said.

“I know what I can give as a player and what I’ve done to help the club but I’m not thinking that this goal should help me regain a place in the team. I always train hard and do my best but it’s up to the coach to select the team.

“I’m delighted that Marsaxlokk have reached the Championship Pool. My wife, my daughter and I are supporters of Marsaxlokk, we feel at home here. When I joined Marsaxlokk last summer, I resolved to put my personal objectives to one side to concentrate on doing my best to help the team.”

Marsaxlokk deserve credit for forcing their way into the elite cohort after securing promotion back to the top flight at the end of last season but Alcorse believes that the Blues are capable of improving on their current fifth position.

“The gap between the teams is small, so we are still in the reckoning,” Alcorse said.

“It would be a mistake on our part if we relax because everybody is happy just to be in the top six… we must challenge for higher targets.”

A bumper crowd, a hard-fought derby and boundless excitement in Sunday’s top-six matches marked the end of the first phase of this season’s BOV Premier League.

The weekend brought joy to Valletta, who downed Floriana 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 18 matches this season, and Marsa-xlokk and Ħamrun Spartans who secured a place in the Champion-ship Pool in dramatic fashion.

Denni fired Valletta ahead 10 minutes from half-time in Saturday’s derby , which drew 5,247 fans to the National Stadium, and Ian Zammit, who had just replaced the Brazilian forward, put the result beyond Floriana with a stoppage-time goal.

Victory for Valletta took them 15 points clear at the top, meaning they will start the Championship Pool with a seven-point lead on Tarxien Rainbows who stayed second after a goalless draw with Birkirkara in Saturday’s opening game.

Floriana remained third despite suffering their third defeat in a row.

Birkirkara created the better chances in their encounter with Tarxien but the latter held firm to salvage a point. The draw meant that the champions joined Floriana in third place, eight points behind the leaders.

On Sunday, the attention turned to the fierce fight for the last two Championship Pool berths as three decisive matches kicked off concurrently, a novelty for Maltese football but definitely a sensible move by the Malta FA.

It was an afternoon of fluctuating fortunes for Marsaxlokk, Ħamrun, Qormi and Sliema Wanderers as, at some point during the matches, all had qualification to the Championship Pool within sight.

Marsaxlokk only needed a point to book their place in the top six but their chances looked as good as over when Qormi captain Joseph Farrugia put his team 2-1 up in the second minute of stoppage time.

Qormi had taken an early lead thanks to Jonathan Bondin’s looping shot but their hopes suffered a blow midway through the second half when goalkeeper Matthew Farrugia was sent off for a penalty-box foul on Alfred Effiong and Portuguese Ruben Guerreiro Gravata converted the penalty.

Farrugia looked to have given Qormi a lifeline but Julio Alcorse, who had only just come in for Florent Raimy, saved Marsaxlokk with a last-gasp equaliser.

At the National Stadium, Ħamrun Spartans also appeared to have fluffed their lines after Luis Edison and Leighton Grech scored in the space of seven second-half minutes to fire Vittoriosa Stars 2-1 ahead.

Having taken the lead through Dylan Kokavessis, the Spartans looked shell-shocked but they battled on and Gaetan Spiteri made it 2-2 with 12 minutes left.

Frustration gripped the Spartans when Marcelo Pereira missed a penalty but Spiteri came to their rescue when heading the winner seven minutes from time.

Grech was sent off in the dying moments.

These results rendered Sliema Wanderers’ 4-0 win over Hibs futile in so far as their Championship Pool bid was concerned.

The Blues ended the first phase in seventh place. Etienne Barbara notched a brace for the Wanderers with the other goals coming from Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Jackson Lima.

Premier League statistics

Scorers, red cards

Birkirkara: Lattes 6; Fenech 4, Galea 4 (1 pen); Vella 3; Cilia 2, Tabone 2 (1 pen); Vukanac, Borg, Agius, Kumbrevicius.
Floriana: Woods 6 (2 pen.), Nwoke 6; Caruana 3; Mecerod 2, Draganov 2; Dzhorov, Darmanin, Agius, Said, Micallef, Farrugia.
Red cards: Farrugia (vs Tarxien), Paris (vs Sliema Wanderers).
Ħamrun Spartans: Spiteri 11; Grima 5; Pereira 4, Shields 4 (1 pen); Fenech 2 (1 pen), Anizoba 2, Mangion, Falzon, Kokavessis.
Red cards: Hrubsa (vs Floriana, vs Valletta), Bonnici (vs Floriana), Ryan Fenech (vs Floriana).
Hibernians: McManus 5; Cohen 4 (1 pen), Herrera 4; Pisani 2; Pulis, Caruana, Clarke, Farrugia, Pearson, Kristensen, Fairbairn.
Own goal: Micallef (vs Vittoriosa).
Red card: Pulis (vs Ħamrun Spartans).
Marsaxlokk: Effiong 9; Guerreiro 4 (1 pen.); Templeman 3; Raimy 2, Sciberras 2, Alcorse 2 (1 pen); Kokavessis, Deanov, Licari.
Red cards: Alcorse (vs Valletta), Mamo (vs Floriana), Galabov (vs Vittoriosa).
Qormi: Josue 4 (3 pens), Frendo 4; Mifsud 3, Mallia 3; Bello Osagie 2, J. Farrugia 2; Bjedov, Chetcuti, Camilleri, Bondin.
Red cards: Bondin (vs Ħamrun), Hojung (vs Vittoriosa Stars), Bartolo (vs Floriana), M. Farrugia (vs Marsaxlokk).
Sliema Wanderers: Mifsud Triganza 6, Lima 6 (1 pen); Obiefule 5 (1 pen); Lachkhem 2, Barbara 2; Scerri.
Red cards: Mintoff (vs Birkirkara), B. Muscat (vs Vittoriosa Stars), Lima (vs Valletta).
Tarxien Rainbows: Cristiano 7 (1 pen); Bueno 6; Sergio 4, Ricardo 4; Caruana, Everton.
Own goals: Pearson (vs Hibernians); Kang (vs Qormi).
Red card: Bueno (vs Hibernians).
Valletta: Scerri 14 (4 pens); Denni 9 (1 pen); Sammut 5; Falzon 2, Pace 2, G. Agius 2, Fenech 2, Zammit 2; E. Agius, Temile, Borg, Briffa.
Red cards: Ramon (vs Floriana), Falzon (vs Ħamrun).
Vittoriosa Stars: Ewurum 6; Jorge 5, Edison 5 (2 pen); Grech 2; Micallef.
Own goal: Gauci (vs Hibernians).
Red cards: Campagnoli (vs Valletta), Edison (vs Birkirkara, vs Sliema), Mifsud (vs Valletta), Grech (vs Ħamrun).

Next fixtures
Saturday (Hibs Stadium): 2 p.m. Marsa-xlokk vs Floriana; 4 p.m. Tarxien Rainbows vs Birkirkara.
Sunday (National Stadium): 2 p.m. Hibs vs Vittoriosa; 4 p.m. Ħamrun vs Valletta.
Monday (Hibs Stadium): 7.30 p.m. Qormi vs Sliema.