Gżira United romped back into the Premier League title race yesterday with a 3-0 victory over Ħamrun Spartans.
Defeated in their last outing, Gżira were certainly keen to redeem themselves with an improved showing but at the same time, will have been wary of meeting a Spartans side, who in spite of their own woes, produced a valiant performance.
And on paper it seemed they could not get an easier opportunity, with crisis club Ħamrun Spartans down to bare bones after being forced to offload players to assuage a serious financial problem.
The final scoreline may give the impression that Gżira had it all their way but that was not the case. The Spartans threw everything at their opponents after they fell behind and the Maroons only managed to gloss to their result in the final minutes.
Soufiane Lagzir and Valdo Alhinho were only fit for the bench, so 19-year-old Cain Cutajar was given his full league debut as he started in midfield.
Gżira seemingly one of the main beneficiaries of Ħamrun’s dire situation, drafted Wilfried Domoraud into the starting formation. The Maroons lined up in a 4-2-1-3 formation with the former Ħamrun striker and Hamed Kone giving the width and Amadou Samb deployed in the central striking spot.
Gżira enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession and they worked the Spartans around the pitch as their movement upfront made the Reds toil. It was a matter of time before Giovanni Tedesco’s men went in front.
The clock marked 17 minutes when a lovely move led Domoraud finding space on the left flank and he was given time to pick out Kone who sent a looping header over the stranded Emanuel Bartolo and into the net via the underside of the bar.
On 35 minutes, Ħamrun were almost handed a lifeline when Ailton ran clear of the defence but was denied by the onrushing Justin Haber.
At the other end, Andrew Cohen’s flying header forced Bartolo into a splendid lunging save.
Ħamrun appleaded in vain for a penalty when Ailton’s header appeared to strike the arm of Zachary Scerri. In next to no time, Gżira transferred the ball quickly upfront for Samb who squared for Domoraud but the French striker scooped the ball over.
Two minutes after the break, Clayton Failla struck the woodwork with a perfectly-flighted freekick, which had Haber beaten all the way.
Again Ħamrun went surging forward and this time it was Soares who denied the Spartans when he deflected Ailton’s effort into a corner.
Gżira seemed content to contain their opponents’ pressure and punch on the counter. Samb rampaged down the left flank, rounded up the onrushing goalkeeper but Darren Borg reading the Senegalese’s intentions, got behind Bartolo and blocked on the line.
But with 23 minutes remaining, the Ħamrun rearguard could do nothing to stop substitute Martin Davis’s angled strike from rolling into the net.
More misery befell the Spartans when on 81 minutes, Gżira went 3-0 up. Another swift breakaway saw Kone advance on the right flank. The Ivory Coast striker outsprinted Bartolo before his measured cross flew into the box and Domoraud powered a header into the net.