FLORIANA      1

Oyama 34

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS     1

Domoraud 81

Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana took a point each in a drab encounter at the National Stadium on Friday.

The Greens started brightly and after two minutes ahead they almost took the lead when from a Steve Pisani corner kick, Ignacio Varela saw his header tipped over by Emanuel Bartolo.

Ħamrun responded on seven minutes wehn Kevin Tulimieri’s strike whizzed past the upright.

As the minutes passed Ħamrun grew in stature and on 25 minutes Ryan Darmanin connected to Tulimieri’s cross but his header finished just over.

On 31 minutes Caetano Calil picked Marco Criaco and his low drive finished just wide.

However, it was Floriana who drew first blood on 34 minutes when Sebastian Nayar failed to cut out a througball and in came Arthur Oyama who blasted the ball past Bartolo.

The woodwork denied the Spartans an equaliser Darmanin latched on to Triston Caruana’s cross but his header came off the upright.

Four minutes from the break, Steve Pisani, who is close to a move to Balzan, was hauled off with Clyde Borg coming in  his place.

Ħamrun tried to step up their game in the second half and Akpan had to be alert to tip over Tulimieri’s cross-shot.

As the minutes passed it was coming clear that Floriana were happy to soak up the pressure and try and catch the Spartans with quick breaks.

On the hour Tiago Galvao initiated a lightning break and released substitute Daniel Agius but his angled shot flashed wide.

However, Ħamrun managed to draw level ten minutes from time when Tulimieri’s cross found Wilfried Domoraud who powered his header past Akpan.

Floriana's Arthur Oyama was voted as the BOV Player of the match.

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