Luckless Naxxar gunned down by slick Spartans

Spartans, but at the end, they had precious little to show.

In fact, after creating the only scoring opportunities, they succumbed to a Hamrun goal and from then on, they appeared shocked as the Spartans maintained control till the end of the period.

In the second half, Naxxar again seemed to have been enjoying more possession until they suffered a second Spartans goal in a swift counterattack which killed all their hopes. Till the end, they could not find a way past a solid Hamrun rearguard.

Naxxar were first to threaten on 10 minutes. It was Messias who tested Jake Galea in the Hamrun goal, but the goalie was equal to the task.

The Lions went close again on 16 minutes through a Messias low shot which beat Galea, but the ball hit the upright.

On the 27th minute, Bastos tried his luck from the edge of the area, but his rising shot went just over.

As the Lions insisted, it was again Messias who produced a good effort which Hamrun goalie Galea, however, turned to corner in style.

Hamrun’s first chance arrived in the 38th minute. Dale Camilleri advanced on the flank to cross low for Triston Caruana to shoot wildly over the bar from an ideal position.

It was the prelude to Hamrun’s goal as a minute later, it was Zaccardo who entered the area and set Marino Clavero for the latter to hit home.

The second half had a very quiet start with Naxxar enjoying more ball possession but without being dangerous.

And, in a swift counter attack, it was Hamrun who added a second goal in the 64th minute, when Terence Agius set Thiago Espindola who, completely unmarked, had no difficulty in beating goalie Nicht.

In the 81st minute, Naxxar had a Fenwick goal disallowed after an infringement in the Hamrun area.

Three minutes later, Espindola was through on the left flank, but goalie Nicht somehow managed to block. Valletta Gzira Balzan Floriana Hibernians Sliema Hamrun Birkirkara Mosta Senglea A Tarxien Naxxar Lions St. Andrews Lija Athletic PW D 9 7 1 10 6 3 10 6 3 10 5 5 9 5 2 9 5 2 10 5 1 10 4 1 10 3 2 10 2 3 10 2 1 10 1 3 9 2 0 10 1 1 L F A Pts 1 20 4 22 1 23 11 21 1 20 10 21 0 21 7 20 2 16 6 17 2 15 6 17 4 16 12 16 5 12 15 13 5 13 22 11 5 9 15 9 7 11 29 7 6 10 19 6 7 8 22 6 8 12 28 4

A luckless Naxxar side suffered another defeat – their fifth - at the hands of a slick Hamrun side in yesterday’s second match at the Victor Tedesco Stadium in Hamrun. Goals from Espindola in the first half and Clavero in the second gave the Spartans...