Ħamrun Spartans 5
Melita 0
Ħamrun Spartans secured promotion to the BOV Premier League in emphatic fashion after brushing aside Melita, at the Tedesco Stadium yesterday.
The Spartans took the lead early on but Melita, in desperate need for points to avoid the drop, tried to make a fight out of it.
However, the Amateurs’ hopes were ended on the stroke of half-time when they had defender Luke Bianco dismissed and the Spartans doubled their lead from the penalty spot.
The Spartans remain one point adrift of leaders Gżira United while Melita remain a place off the relegation zone, just three points ahead of third-from-bottom San Ġwann.
Ħamrun couldn’t have had a better start as they forged ahead after only five minutes. Saturday Nanapere picked Rodney Refalo who quickly set up Haruna Garba who slotted the ball home.
Melita could have drawn level on 13 minutes when a Gavin Schranz header looked destined to hit the net but Glenn Azzopardi managed to clear the ball off the line.
The game continued to produce some exhilarating football and seven minutes later a Refalo effort, from a Nanapere cross, was deflected for a corner by a defender.
The Spartans were unlucky not to score a second when Garba’s angled shot came off the upright.
But Ħamrun did add a second a minute from the break.
Garba was brought down in the area by Bianco and the referee pointed to the spot. Bianco was dismissed and Alan Tabone converted the resultant penalty.
On 57 minutes Refalo made it 3-0 when he scored from just inside the area following a Nanapere pass.
Ħamrun went four goals up on 63 minutes when Nanapere fed Garba who rifled the ball home.
The Spartans completed the rout three minutes later when Glenn Azzopardi pounced on a poor backpass by Julian Abela to rifle past the Melita goalkeeper.
Late on, Jake Grech was unlucky not to put his name on the scoresheet but his shot came off the bar.
Ħamrun: F. Tabone, P. Chircop, G. Azzopardi, M.A. Borg, M. Hrubsa (M. Busuttil), J. Grech, O. Anonam, A. Tabone (M. Mucchardi), S. Nanapere, R. Refalo (E. Briffa), H. Garba.
Melita: A. Abela, A. Borg Olivier, L. Bianco, F. Guihard, M. Fenech, G. Schranz, E. Cornago, J.P. Attard, I. Tufegdzic (J. Abela), N. Vella Petroni (D. Cachia), J. Galea.
Referee: Emanuel Grech.
Man of the match: Saturday Nanapere (Ħamrun Spartans).
Gżira United 2
Fgura United 1
Gżira: A. Curmi, G. Aquilina, R. Zome (A. White), L. Martinelli (D. Agius), R. Kooh Sohna (L. Camilleri), J. Pace, D. Scerri, J. Bondin, C. Montes Zuniga, K. Pulo, I. Zammit.
Fgura: R. Marmara, K. Pace, A. Farrugia, I. Curmi (J. Zarb Cousin), D. Vukovic, F. Arriagada, S. Shead (S. Sandoval Escobar), J.M. Ruiz Perez (D. Attard), L. Vella Critien, R. Costa, Q. Bregman.
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Scorers: Costa (F) 34; Zammit (G) 35; Kooh Sohna (G) 75.
Man of the match: Raphael Kooh Sohna (Gżira United).
San Ġwann 2
Mqabba 0
San Ġwann: D. Sciberras, R. Zammit, J. Briffa, S. Vella, J. Azzopardi, J. Tanti (I. Caruana), A. Borg, N. Muscat, J. Cutajar (G. Agius), B. Abehanga, N. Abouhaisa (A. Cachia).
Mqabba: J. Debono, D. Aquilina (D. Azzopardi), M. Bonnici, A. Abela, C. Farrugia, K.P. Farrugia, A. Mello da Silva, K. Cutajar, R. Caruana (G. Adamovic) P. Chimezie, B. Grech (I. Galea).
Referee: Sandro Spiteri.
Scorers: Briffa 55; Tanti 74.
Man of the match: Jesmar Briffa (San Ġwann).
Gudja United 3
St George’s 3
(St George’s relegated)
Gudja: J. Azzopardi (G. Romano), I. Cachia, G. Chircop, T. Nappa Licari, S. Micallef, C. Grech, D. Martini, A. Cutajar, D. Sciberras (C. Frendo), J. Waseem (J. Coleiro), D. Sohna.
St George’s: S. Cini, W. Ifeanyi, M. Brincat, R. Brignone, R. Mizugashira, L. Vella (K. Tabone), G. Gesualdi, L. Grech, A. Mendy, H. Vella (K. Abela), K. Conti.
Referee: Ishmael Barbara.
Scorers: Cutajar (G) 32; Ifeanyi (SG) 34; Sciberras (G) 43; Sohna (G) 60; Mendy (SG) 81; Tabone (SG) 90.
Man of the match: Didier Sohna (Gudja).