Sliema and Qormi dropped to the relegation pool of the premier league today when the issue was decided with three simultanous matches. They joined Hibs and Vittoriosa who had already been condemned to the lower pool.
Hamrun and Sliema triumphed against Vittoriosa and Hibernians but a draw by Marsaxlokk against Qormi was enough to condemn both Qormi and Sliema to the drop.
VITTORIOSA 2, HAMRUN 3
Hamrun secured their place in the championship pool following a topsy-turvy win over Vittoriosa.
With 12 minutes remaining on the clock, Hamrun Spartans were trailing 2-1 to Vittoriosa, yet Gatean Spiteri’s two quick goals earned the erstwhile inept Hamrun a place in the championship pool.
It was an afternoon of drama and tension for the Spartans with emotions ebbing and flowing as scores from the other games were received on radios and mobile phones.
Between 3pm and 4.50pm, all four relegation pool-threatened teams had a championship pool place in their grasp.
Roared on by a packed, passionate Hamrun side, the Spartans started at a blistering pace and should have scored just after 10 minutes when Nikolai Chipev threatened for Hamrun, stinging Jean Vella’s fingers with a shot from an acute angle.
Hamrun and Marsaxlokk, who began the day as favourites to earn the coveted championship pool berth, soon lost the advantage and this was handed to Sliema and Qormi.
News had filtered round the Spartans supporters that the Blues had taken a 1-0 lead against Hibernians and the yellows-and-black were defeating the Southseasiders.
These results dragged Hamrun into the relegation pool and the Stars took the initiative, forcing two consecutive corners but Steve D’Amato’s compact defensive set-up was up to the task to keep Vittoriosa at bay after 20 minutes but more chances would inevitably follow.
On the half hour mark, Jeffrey Chetcuti headed wide from Alan Tabone’s corner. But in the 39th minute, a massive roar erupted around the ground when Dylan Kokavessis played a one-two with Dyson Falzon on the edge of the box and clipped the ball over Vella.
That Vittoriosa were determined to stand in their way had seemed to be the day’s only certainty as Wellman rising higher than new recruit Dragan Milovic but headed straight into Omar Borg’s hands.
Yet it was Hamrun who ended the half in the ascendancy when fastening onto a teasing ball from Gaetan Spiteri, Kokkavesis veered to his right to evade the onrushing Vella before shooting towards goal. His effort seemed destined to hit the back of the net but Wellman came to Vittoriosa’s rescue when he slid in to clear the danger.
As the half finished 1-0 up for Hamrun, with the situation in the other games at break meaning that result would have been enough to move the Spartans out of the relegation zone.
The Spartans emerged for the second-half with the theme tune to ‘The Ben Hur’ booming around the ground.
Vittoriosa, though were the next to threaten, substitute Leighton Grech hit the ball on the half turn at the far post as his effort sailed viciously towards goal, forcing a smart save from Borg.
Hamrun were starting to exert control and Vella had to be alert to dash out and block at the feet of Pereira after 52 minutes.
When it look like Hamrun’s fairytale story was about to come true, Luis Edison spoiled their day. On the hour mark, Leighton Grech found space out on the right and his cross was well met by Edison with a firm header which hit the post and rebounded for the striker to tap in.
Five minutes later, Grech played a wall-pass with Tabone and raced on to it to slot a second goal past Borg. The silence that met the goal its own story, as at that time despite their best efforts, Hamrun were down.
The Spartans desperately needed to hit back quickly and Steve D’Amato made a change, introducing Peter Chizoba Anizoba for Nikolai Chipev. The Nigerian was in the thick of action right away as his brilliant cross was turned past Vella by the inrushing Spiteri at the near post.
Nine minutes from time, Dyson Falzon ran with menace at the Vittoriosa defence and won a penalty from a befuddled Carlos Campognoli to send the Spartans fans crazy.
The onus to save the day fell on Marcelo Pereira but he blasted the penalty sky high. But Steve D’Amato side was not to be denied. Anizoba Chizoba, an increasingly prominent presence in the game, sent in a left-wing cross which caught the back-pedaling Vittoriosa defence off guard as Spiteri headed home.
Dyson Falzon had one last chance at death but Vella brilliantly blocked his shot as Vittoriosa were reduced to 10 men when Grech received two yellow cards in quick succession.
QORMI 2, MARSAXLOKK 2
Argentine striker Julio Alcorse scored a last-gasp equaliser seconds after entering the fray to secure Marsaxlokk’s place in the Championship Pool following a 2-2 draw with fellow top-six hopefuls Qormi in a dramatic match at the Hibs Stadium.
Qormi, who needed a win to force a decider at least, thought they had reached their target when Joseph Farrugia put them 2-1 in front in the first minute of stoppage time but the plucky Marsaxlokk fought back to draw level in the dying moments.
The draw was enough for Marsaxlokk to qualify for the Championship Pool as they ended the first phase in fifth place with 24 points, one ahead of Hamrun Spartans who also made it into the top six after their 3-2 win over Vittoriosa Stars.
Qormi did most of the running in the early stages but Marsaxlokk created the first chance of the game.
Running on to a pass from Ryan Darmanin, Alfred Effiong sped into the box but his shot was kept out by Matthew Farrugia, the Qormi goalkeeper.
On 15 minutes, Reuben Gauci, the Marsaxlokk goalkeeper, pushed away Abubakar Bello-Osagie’s cross-shot after the Nigerian had drifted into the box from the left.
Marsaxlokk improved as the first half wore on. They protested for a penalty when Qormi goalkeeper Farrugia stormed into Effiong as the latter jumped to try and head Sunday Eboh’s cross but referee Adrian Azzopardi saw nothing wrong.
Midway into the first half, Qormi opened the scoring when Jonathan Bondin’s dipping shot from out on the right caught Gauci’s unawares.
The match became somewhat scrappy after Qormi’s opener as the proceedings were littered by a series of fouls.
Ten minutes from half-time, Marsaxlokk’s Malcolm Licari made a good run down the left and laid the ball back for Trevor Templeman who fired wide from the edge of the box.
Bondin rescued Qormi from a potentially harmful situation as he got in the way of Pullicino’s shot after some good work by Florent Raimy.
The Blues made the better start to the second half. Effiong hit wide after receiving from Trevor Templeman three minutes after the restart.
More danger loomed for Qormi when the overlapping Luca Lodetti produced a good cross from the right. Darmanin’s effort was blocked by Bondin but the loose ball rolled to Effiong whose attempt came off Giglio.
It was all Marsaxlokk at this stage with Effiong have another shot blocked by Giglio while Florent Raimy’s free-kick was deflected away by Qormi’s human barrier.
Marsaxlokk’s Templeman went close when his looping cross-shot from virtually the same position where Bondin scored Qormi’s opener, was pushed onto the crossbar by Farrugia.
Qormi’s response produced a fierce shot by substitute Matthew Bartolo was beaten away by Gauci midway into the second half. In the ensuing scamble, Qormi defender Jason Vandelannoite looked to have been hauled down by Eboh but referee Azzopardi deemed that the Nigerian’s intervention was legitimate.
The drama was far from over as Marsaxlokk broke on the counter and Effiong bore down on goal only to be brought down by the on-rushing Farrugia in the box. The referee awarded Marsaxlokk a penalty and dismissed Farrugia. Portuguese midfielder Ruben Guerreiro Gravata sent his penalty kick past Matthew Camilleri, who had replaced Brazilian forward Josue, to level for Marsaxlokk.
Despite their numerical handicap, Qormi piled the pressure on Marsaxlokk in the final stages. The woodwork came to the latter’s rescue when, five minutes from time, Stefan Giglio’s screamer crashed against the crossbar.
Marsaxlokk should have killed off Qormi when man-of-the-match Pullicino slipped a through-ball to Effiong who was ran into the box only to chip wide.
In their next attack, Qormi forged ahead thanks to their captain Joseph Farrugia who hit an exquisite volley past Gauci after receiving a cross from Bello-Osagie.
The Qormi players and fans went into delirium as the ecstatic Farrugia took his shirt off.
With Farrugia’s goal coming in the first minute of stoppage time, Qormi thought they were home and dry but they were in for a nasty surprise.
Marsaxlokk summoned the energy and resilience to draw level, also thanks to coach Patrick Curmi whose decision to throw on Julio Alcorse for the final three minutes proved inspired.
Gravata’s long cross from a central free-kick was headed goalward by Alcorse but the Qormi defenders deflected the ball towards the far post where Pullicino was unmarked. The veteran midfielder’s chip came off the crossbar but Alcorse was on hand to guide the ball home to send the Marsaxlokk fans into raptures.
SLIEMA CRUSH HIBS, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE
Sliema Wanderers scored a crushing 4-0 victory over Hibernians but it was still not enough to book their place in this season’s Championship Pool.
The Wanderers were on top right from the outset and they managed to take the lead after 15 minutes when Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza curled the ball home from a free-kick.
Hibs’ response failed to arrive and the Wanderers double their lead five minutes from the break when Etienne Barbara surged into the area and unleashed a powerful drive that gave no chance to goalkeeper Mario Muscat.
The Blues took just 35 seconds into the second half to make it 3-0 when Barbara crossed the ball towards Clayton Failla who quickly released Jackson Lima who buried the ball home.
More woes were in store for Hibs as Sliema struck their fourth goal on 53 minutes when Lima’s throughball released Failla who quickly squared the ball towards Barbara who deposited the ball into an empty net.
Etienne Barbara was voted as the BOV Player of the match.