QORMI-6, ĦAMRUN SPARTANS-0
Qormi secured their top-flight status in emphatic style this afternoon as they hammered rivals Ħamrun Spartans 6-0 at the National Stadium.
Abubakar Bello-Osagie scored a brace for the dominant Qormi but their hero was Brazilian Jorginho whose speed and agility proved too much for the slow-moving Spartans defence.
With this win, Qormi consolidated top spot in the Relegation Pool on 30 points, five ahead of Ħamrun Spartans who are not safe yet.
A boring first half produced few chances before Qormi took the lead seconds before half-time.
The first opportunity had fallen Ħamrun's way when Anderson Ribeiro drove his free-kick high and wide from a good position. This came after seven minutes.
It was not before the 26th minute that Qormi created their first chance. Joseph Chetcuti passed to Jorginho in the Spartans box but the Brazilian's strike was too soft to bother Omar Borg in the Ħamrun goal.
At the other end, Kevin Sammut rirfled wide from an angled position but the game remained short on entertaining fare.
Ribeiro had the chance to break the stalemate when Sammut's corner was deflected into his path inside the box but the Spartans' Brazilian striker blasted over the bar.
Borg, the Ħamrun goalkeeper, then saved another Jorginho effort but on the stroke of half-time, Qormi scored.
They were awarded a penalty after Gianluca Calabretta brought down Jorginho in the box. Abubakar Bello-Osagie made no mistake from the spot.
The second half started in explosive fashion. Qormi doubled their lead after five minutes through Bello-Osagie who finished off another excellent run by Jorginho.
The Nigerian then drove wide after receiving from Matthew Bartolo. Two goals behind, the Spartans should have got one back when David Camilleri's free-kick fell to the unmarked Gaetan Spiteri but the latter's effort was pushed away by Matthew Farrugia.
Nine minutes into the second half, the Spartans won a penalty after Qormi defender Vincent Kouadio fell Lee James Agius in the box but Ribeiro's spot kick shook the crossbar.
Having just come on for his brother Gaetan as part of a double substitution, Ryan Spiteri had an excellent chance to pull one back for the Spartans as he ran through to collect Sammut's intelligent pass but the youngster's effort was kept out by Farrugia.
In their next attack, Qormi made it 3-0. Not for the first time, the Spartans were slow to track back as Bello-Osagie pushed forward on the counter before setting up Jorginho who advanced before slotting past Borg.
Ħamrun's woes increased when Bartolo's lob had the better of Borg to put Qormi 4-0 up.
Camilleri tried to narrow the deficit with a long-range free-kick that ended just wide of the far post.
Calabretta then denied Qormi a fifth goal when clearing away Jorginho's goalbound effort.
With two minutes remaining, Qormi increased their lead to five goals when captain Joseph Farrugia headed home from close in after substitute Luke Sciberras's effort had smacked against the crossbar.
There was time for Qormi to score a sixth in stoppage, Roderick Sammut hitting home from the penalty spot after Steve Bonnici had handled the ball in the box.
Jorginho was named BOV player of the match.