HAMRUN SPARTANS-0, MOSTA-3

Mosta gave their top-six hopes a much-needed boost when they eased past Hamrun Spartans to return to winning ways after their upset to Sliema Wanderers.

Two goals from Obinna Obiefule and one from Daniel Bogdanovic pushed Mosta into fourth place on 25 points, one more than Tarxien and two above Sliema, but the latter two teams have a game in hand.

Hamrun remain third from bottom after suffering their sixth straight defeat in the league.

Mosta created the better chances in an uneventful first half.

After four minutes, Ousseni Zongo advanced into the Hamrun box from the left but his cross was cut out by Andrea Cassar, the Spartans goalkeeper.

Danail Mitev had a shot deflected away for a corner before Bryan Agius embarked on a solo run down the left but his piledriver was wide.

Just past the half-hour, Cassar did well to push away Mitev's goalbound cross-shot from a corner.

Mosta took a deserved lead five minutes into the second half. Obinna Obiefule beat Cassar with a header from Zongo's corner.

Daniel Bogdanovic was denied by Cassar with the Spartans going close through Ryan Spiteri whose rising shot was saved by Justin Haber, the Mosta goalkeeper.

Cassar saved Hamrun when blocking Obiefule's grounder but, on the hour, the Nigerian got his second on the hour when he was on hand to flick the ball home from Mano Micallef's cross.

Terence Vella was close to pulling one back for the Spartans but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Agius.

With 20 minutes left, Mosta sealed the issue when Bogdanovic nodded home from Mitev's cross.

Spiteri ought to have narrowed the deficit for Hamrun, the young forward hitting wide with only Haber to beat.

There was another chance for Hamrun when Adrian Ivanov served Vella in the box but the latter's effort was kept out by Noel Attard, who had just replaced Haber.

Obiefule was named BOV player of the match.