Pembroke Athleta handed Birkirkara their second league defeat of the season when they beat them 2-1 at the Tedesco Stadium.
The Blues almost took the lead on nine minutes when Manolito Micallef flashed into the area but his angled drive finished over.
Birkirkara’s response was very weak and instead it was Pembroke who took the lead on 34 minutes. Asani Djeljlj picked Adrian Borg who tucked the ball home from close in.
The Stripes looked rattled and in time added on they almost conceded a second.
They won a free-kick on the left channel and Paltemio Barbetti’s cross was met by Andrea Scozzese but his header was somehow kept out by Kopric with the aid of the upright.
Birkirkara drew level on the hour when Scicluna’s effort was blocked by a defender with the ball falling to Frank Temile who hit a fierce drive that gave no chance to Calleja Cremona.
Pembroke should have restored their lead on 65 minutes when Siraj Arab sped clear on the right and fed the unmarked Bernardo Mariano who, however, lost his footing and was blocked by the onrushing Kopric.
But the Brazilian redeemed himself on 68 minutes when in another quick foray he sped into the area and beat Kopric with an angled drive.
Hamrun, Floriana draw
A keenly contested match ended with the sharing of points. The game developed in a tight contest in no quarter was given as both sets of players fought for every ball.
They may have not been too many shots at goal but the tussles for the ball were always lively.
Hamrun Spartans’ flying start came to fruition on the half hour mark. Enrico Pepe sent Haruna Garba crashing to end Hamrun’s first serious venture towards the Floriana penalty area. Jake Grech’s free-kick went into the wall but the ball was deemed to have come off Enzo Ruiz’s hand inside the penalty side and from the spot kick Grech shot his team into the lead.
For a moment, Hamrun tried to drive home that early impetus. Garba was almost through soon after but Justin Haber dived at his feet to block the Nigerian forward’s effort to knock in the ball.
Towards, the end of the first half, Mario Fontanella headed the ball towards Nicolas Chiesa who did the impossible, knocking the ball over the bar with goal at his mercy.
Giovanni Tedesco brought in Amadou Samb at the start of the second half, a substitution intended to give more mobility to the Floriana attacking line. The second half opened up excellent prospect for them.
Inside the second minute, Ruiz glanced in a header off a corner by Steve Pisani, which landed wide of the far post. Yet, he pranced back to level matters seven minutes later. Steve Pisani prodded the ball towards the nippy midfielder who expertly rounded his marker to drive low into the net.
The goal came at the right psychological moment as Tedesco’s troops started breathing freely. The Greens looked more compact now moving forward.
On 56 minutes, Justin Haber stretched into an excellent diving save on Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza. Hamrun were somehow tempted to hold on to a draw but Floriana’s forward moving momentum nevertheless left them no option but to operate on the counter-attack.
But Floriana were now enjoying more possession. The ball was played wide to Jurgen Pisani whose measured low cross from the right had Chiesa connecting to it with a volley. The ball eluded Cassar but Glenn Azzopardi was on the right spot to clear off the line.
The Spartans’ confidence resurfaced five minutes from time and Grech ran briskly through to meet a long ball from midfield but dragged his effort wide.