Rabat Ajax 1
Licari 39
Ħamrun Spartans 2
Borg 68; Camilleri 85
With just one point separating these two strugglers and nine games to play, this encounter was rated by many as a classsic relegation six-pointer which eventually went Ħamrun’s way as they turned the tables on Rabat with a David Camilleri goal from a corner five minutes from time.
Though the Relegation Pool is still in its early stages, both teams will feel that this result could have a significant bearing on the final positions as the Reds leapfrogged the Magpies to lift themselves off the relegation positions.
Malcolm Licari, scorer of a fine goal for Rabat against Qormi, was rewarded with a starting berth, replacing the injured Dylan Falzon in a 4-4-1-1 shape with the former Balzan striker playing in the hole behind Josè Luis Armario Negrin.
On the other side, goalkeeper Andrea Cassar was dropped to the bench as Stefan Sultana awarded a starting role to Anthony Curmi.
The returning Massimo Grima stationed himself alongside Giacomo Favero in central midfield as the Spartans opted for 4-2-3-1.
Ħamrun made a stronger start as they looked for an early goal.
But the Magpies’ passing and movement quickly came to the fore as Licari profited from a misunderstanding between Bled-jon Guga and Curmi who got in each other’s way as they tried to close down the Ajax player after eight minutes.
The striker’s effort was blocked, Manuel Fuster retrieved the loose ball but blasted over from a good position.
Five minutes later, the Spartans’ defence nearly was unlocked by a neat move as Negrin almost got on the end of a Licari through-ball.
After 23 minutes, Grima had to smother in a goalmouth melee following a corner by Diego Carrillo Pendas.
Rabat took the lead six minutes from the break after Licari got himself at the end of a Carrillo cross, before he headed the ball into the top corner of the net with Negrin’s dummy fooling the Ħamrun goalkeeper.
A quick interchange between Camilleri and Grima, just after the break, had Rabat in a tangle as the latter raced on the left flank but Loic Lumbilla made the impossible and headed over the bar from a good position.
But Ħamrun’s profligacy nearly came back to haunt them in the 56th minute when Carillo Pendas’s cross from the right sailed towards Negrin but the Spaniard’s far-post header hit the crossbar.
Shy of the hour mark, Lumbilla tested Rabat custodian Sean Mintoff to the limit with a curling effort destined for the right corner but the goalkeeper stretched out his hands to claw the ball away.
Ħamrun’s pressure produced an equaliser. Camilleri’s corner sailed into the box where Adrian Borg poked home from just outside the box.
Five minutes from time, the Spartans were awarded a corner and Camilleri’s inswinger eluded the Rabat defence with the ball bouncing inside the back of the net.
Rabat surged forward and in stoppage time they were unlucky not to draw level when substitute Wayne Borg headed the ball into the path of Carillo Pendas who shot just over the bar.
Rabat Ajax: S. Mintoff-6, G. Gesualdi-6, I. Carapic-6, J. Caruana-6, M. Licari-6.5 (79 W. Borg), J.L. Armario Negrin-5.5, M. Fuster-7, C. Brincat-6, D. Carrillo Pendas-7, D. Azzo-pardi-6, C. Gauci-6.
Ħamrun Spartans: A. Curmi-6, G. Azzopardi-5.5, A. Borg-6.5, B. Guga-5, M. Grima-6, D. Camilleri-7, G. Favero-5, L. Lumbilla-6, T. Vella-6.5 (90 L. Grech), E. Lattes-5.5, R. Spiteri-5 (55 D. Zerafa-6).
Referee Trustan Farrugia Cann.
Yellow cards Favero; Brincat; Caruana; Vella.
Attendance 300.
BOV Player of the match Diego Carrillo Pendas (Rabat Ajax).