Senglea beaten, lose further ground
Hamrun Spartans and Senglea Athletic were both in desperate need of points from the BOV Premier League match played last night at the National Stadium, a match which brought to an end match day 18.
It was the Spartans who got the maximum points from this battle against relegation with a goal scored by their substitute striker Soufiane Lagzir seven minutes from time. This win puts Hamrun in a much healthier position.
Hamrun returned to winning ways last Monday when they defeated Sirens 2-1. This win came after a negative run which put the Spartans in the lower part of the table in a tricky position and which also cost the job for Manuele Blasi. In came Andrea Ciaramella and Hamrun bagged the three points. A win which put them in seventh place on 22 points together with Balzan and Mosta. And now they are on 25.
Senglea went into this match in penultimate position, a team which had failed to win for a stretch of 10 matches. But on a positive note they earned four draws from their last five matches.
For this match Senglea had to face Hamrun short of the suspended Elvis Sakyi and Anderson Carneiro do Nascimento.
In the first round, Hamrun defeated Senglea 3-1.
After six minutes Senglea went near and threatened the opposing goal when a free kick by Nicolas Virano just missed the target.
Hamrun responded three minutes later when Failla passed towards Flores with the latter finding Jorge Soares but his shot from in front of goal sailed over the bar.
Eleven minutes had passed and the same player tried his luck with a long distance shot which finished over the bar. And just on the stroke of half time Junior Cabral tried to round goalkeeper Bartolo with the ball falling into Virano’s path but his shot was blocked by the Spartans defence.
Senglea started brightly the second 45 minutes and went near to opening the stalemate on 50 minutes. Ricardo Theodoro supplied the cross and Junior’s Cabral headed effort hit the woodwork with goalkeeper Bartolo completely beaten.
On 65 minutes a shot from the right by Siraj Arab missed the target. With Ricardo Theodoro being once again in the thick of action six minutes later but his low drive was saved by Bartolo.
Hamrun scored what proved to be the winning goal seven minutes from time. A Failla shot was blocked by the Senglea rearguard but the ball fell into Lagzir
Soufiane’s path who from close range made no mistake to the delight of the Spartans supporters.
And in the 86th minute Hamrun nearly doubled their lead when a Jorge Soares shot hit the woodwork.