Ħamrun Spartans have not turned the corner yet but their 3-2 victory over neighbouring rivals Qormi on Sunday will have given the former Malta champions renewed optimism of re-igniting their challenge for the Championship Pool.

Their dismal start to the season had precipitated former coach Marco Gerada's departure after the Spartans collected only two points from seven matches.

Steve D'Amato heeded the Spartans' call to take over the reins of their underperforming team and the young coach has vindicated the club's faith in him thus far as Ħamrun have managed three successive wins under his stewardship.

Sunday's eagerly-awaited derby with Qormi, considered as the nouveau riche of the Premier League, marked D'Amato's debut as Premier League coach as his first two matches in charge of the Spartans were in the FA Trophy.

D'Amato had a baptism of fire as Diego Armando Cucciardi struck two minutes from time to give the Spartans a 3-2 win.

"This victory was important not just because it was our first in the league but moreso because it has further enhanced the team's morale," D'Amato told The Times.

"When I started to work with Ħamrun, it didn't take me long to realise that the players had a psychological barrier. Confidence was low after a series of negative results and my first priority was to get the players to start believing again in their abilities.

"Winning back-to-back matches in the FA Trophy went some way towards restoring the players' confidence."

D'Amato was relieved that his team managed to turn defeat into victory in Sunday's 'must-win' clash against Qormi.

"Given our precarious position in the table, we just couldn't afford to lose," the former Melita coach said.

"Not even a draw would have been a good result for us as we needed the three points to make up ground on the teams in front of us.

"The first half was not very entertaining and I was disappointed with our performance but the complexion of the game changed after the break. I was pleased that we made an instant reaction after conceding a goal so early in the second half.

"The team's bold response to Qormi's opener was proof that my players are rediscovering their determination to fight."

Cucciardi stole the show on Sunday with a well-taken brace but it was not the first time the midfielder-cum-forward scored important goals for the Spartans. Suffice to say that it was Cucciardi who volleyed a late equaliser for the Spartans in a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Tarxien Rainbows in September after coming on as a substitute.

For many years, Cucciardi has had to be content with a bit-part role for the Spartans but his two-goal contribution on Sunday can only have bolstered his prospects of holding down a regular place in the team.

D'Amato would not be drawn into discussing Cucciardi's chances of gaining more first-team football but he was quick to commend the player for his positive attitude.

"Cucciardi is a valid player and we all know that he can be very useful to the team, be it as a starter or when coming off the bench," D'Amato said.

"I only have positive words for him because he's dedicated and his approach to training is excellent."

At 30 years, D'Amato is the youngest coach in the top flight but his handling of the team suggests that he doesn't shirk hard decisions, especially when it comes to dealing with seasoned players.

D'Amato has selected Ivan Casha to guard Ħamrun's goal for the last three matches despite the former Marsaxlokk keeper's long absence from first-team football.

At present, he's also engaged in efforts to sign a new foreign player to replace Brazilian Ronaldo Ortega who was released a few weeks ago. Brazilian defender Alex Noronha is still sidelined with a nagging injury but doubts surround his long-term future with the Spartans.

"Zoran Levnaic didn't play on Sunday because he's injured," D'Amato said. "As Ortega's replacement, we are hoping to sign a Dutch forward who did well during a trial with us in the past few weeks."

The Spartans are entitled to savour their first league victory but D'Amato knows that sterner tests lie ahead, starting with their clash against champions Valletta on Saturday.

"Sunday's match is in the past now and my thoughts have already turned to the fixture against Valletta," D'Amato said. "We only have to look at our lowly position in the table to realise that we can't get carried away by one win.

"Valletta will be tough opponents but we'll be doing our best to get something from that match."

Qormi coach Jesmond Zerafa felt that his team didn't deserve to leave the Tedesco Stadium empty-handed.

"It was an open game and the result could have gone either way," Zerafa remarked. "All things considered, I think the defeat was harsh on us but credit to Ħamrun because they played well in the second half.

"We knew that Ħamrun were adamant to win this game and they had an edge on us because they were playing at home."

The concession of a goal just six minutes after Josivan Da Silva had fired Qormi ahead was a severe setback for the team, Zerafa lamented.

"Ħamrun's equaliser coming so soon after our opener altered the course of the game," Zerafa said.

"We did well to make it 2-2 after they had gone in front but once again, we conceded a late goal. We made a lot of mistakes during the game but ours is a new team that is still maturing."

Sunday's defeat left Qormi second from bottom with six points from seven matches but they have played two games fewer than Marsaxlokk and Msida St Joseph, the two teams sitting above them in the table.

"There's still a long way to go," a defiant Zerafa said. "There's time to recover from this defeat but we also know that all matches will be difficult because the league is very balanced."

Zerafa is also looking at the January transfer window as an opportunity to reinforce his squad and their chances of side-stepping the drop.

"There are plans to sign some new players in January because we need to strengthen the squad," Zerafa said.

With Ħamrun showing signs of a revival, Qormi plotting another assault on the transfer market and the other Relegation Pool candidates determined to step up their fight, it looks like there are plenty of twists and turns ahead in the race for survival.