Hamrun-Pembroke 2-1
Hamrun S: F. Tabone, G. Azzopardi, P. Teixeira, M.A. Borg, L. Grech, S. Nanapere, J. Neto, L. Motta (T. Cilia), J. Grech, S. Raphael (P. Chircop), J. P. Mifsud Triganza (M. Giusti)
Pembroke: M. Calleja Cremona, A. Djeljilj, Z. Levnaic, B. Muscat, M. Micallef, P. Barbetti, S. Arab (M. Attard), C. Gauci (S. Shodija) , A. Scozzese, J. Mariano (O. Bugeja), B. Manevski
Referee: E. Mangion
Asst.refs: C. Francalanza, S. Attard
4th official: M. Spiteri
Scorers: J. Grech 14, J.P. Mifsud Triganza 19, B. Manevski 55
Yellow cards: P. Barbetti, J. Neto
Player of the match: S. Nanapere (Hamrun S)
TMI top 3: 1. S. Nanapere 2. B. Manevski 3. L. Motta
Hamrun Spartans were back in the groove after two consecutive defeats as they beat bottom side Pembroke Athleta in a match played under continuous rain and strong winds at Victor Tedesco Stadium yesterday.
Hamrun's goals came within the opening 20 minutes through a deflected Jake Grech shot and another clinical finish by Mifsud Triganza to keep them in mid-table.
Pembroke's only goal was scored by their best player Manevski soon after the restart.
Victory was no more than Hamrun Spartans deserved after they created a host of chances and their striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza could have had a hat-trick in the first half alone, when the Spartans were totally superior to their opponents.
Pembroke, who welcomed the return of defender Asani Djejilj from suspension, improved in the second half and immediately pulled one back after the interval. Still they failed to clinch at least a draw and this defeat leaves them marooned at the bottom of the standings, contemplating a rather poor start of the season.
Hamrun coach Steve D'Amato made four changes after defeat against Balzan. Frederick Tabone replaced Matthew Farrugia in goal as Philip Chircop, Rodrigues and Luke Sciberras were dropped. Glenn Azzopardi, Luke Grech and Jorge Neto were given starts instead.
Mifsud Triganza forced Pembroke keeper Calleja Cremona into the first save, stretching himself to turn his free kick into a corner after eight minutes.
But short of the quarter hour, the Spartans opened the scoring. Nanapere played a square pass to Jake Grech whose shot from outside the area took a wicked deflection off Scozzese and ended behind the goalkeeper. Soon after, Mifsud Triganza's low drive on a Nanapere cross was saved by Calleja Cremona with some difficulty on the slippery surface.
Hamrun doubled their lead on 19 minutes. Nanapere was again involved, providing a low pass to Texeira who freed Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza to hit low past the Pembroke custodian.
As Pembroke pushed to pull themselves into the game, a Djeljilj cross was parried by Hamrun keeper Tabone. Manevski mishit in front of goal and the ball ended into a corner. A minute later Manevski was again in action as he advanced through the middle and his diagonal shot was slightly deflected by keeper Tabone.
Nanapere continued to be the most mobile and threatening player on the pitch. He set Mifsud Triganza, who rounded the goalkeeper but failed to put his effort on target from a tight angle, clipping the bar in the process.
Pembroke threatened again on the stroke of halftime. Manevski played a short free kick to Djeljilj who shot fractionally wide.
Pembroke put in Shola Shodija for Gauci at halftime and within ten minutes they were back in it. Borche Manevski was left unmolested inside the area on a Mariano pass and beat keeper Tabone with a low strike.
Hamrun had suddenly handed the initiative to their opponents but Pembroke remained sloppy and lacked a cutting edge. The wet surface did not help either. Hamrun, running out of ideas, kept booting the ball out as far as possible. Their keeper Tabone needed to be on his toes to save Manevski's firm header off a Muscat free kick from the right.
In the late stages Mariano headed frustatingly out from close distance and when a Scozzese delivery travelled across the face of the Hamrun goal with no one putting a foot to it, Pembroke knew it would not be their afternoon.
TARXIEN RAINBOWS- 2
BALZAN FC - 2
Tarxien R: A. Cassar, E. Baker, T. Caruana, D. Ponce, A. Nilsson (J. Galea), E. Marcelina, S. Prendes, D. Zerafa, A. Alves, S. Borg, C. Frances (K. Zammit)
Balzan FC: C. Cassar, P. Fenech, S. Arab, B. Kaljevic (L. Micallef), B. De Oliveira (T. Agius), S. Bezzina, E. Serrano, A. Effiong, D. Grima, M. Piciollo (A. Nafti), A. Souza
Referee: S. Pace
Asst.refs: D. Sultana, T. Debono
4th official: C. Pisani
Scorers: A. Nilsson 11, 51, A. Souza 55, A. Nafti 90+
Yellow cards: D. Ponce, S. Arab, E. Serrano, B. De Oliveira, A. Souza, D. Grima, T. Agius, T. Caruana, E. Baker
Red card: E. Serrano
Player of the match: D. Ponce (Tarxien)
TMI top 3: 1. D. Ponce 2. D. Grima 3. A. Nilsson
Attendance: 327
The final whistle of this tightly contested match brought skirmishes between both sets of players and it took some minutes for order to be restored and the players going into the dressing room.
It was a dramatic finale. Not for the first time this season, Tarxien surrendered their lead in the very last minutes.
Their barren run of four winless matches looked like it was finally over. Until the 90th minute they were leading ten-man Balzan 2-1 and looked heading for a surprise win yesterday. But a late direct freekick by Nafti in added time levelled matters and enabled Balzan to avoid defeat.
Tarxien had taken an early lead and doubled that with another goals at the start of the second half.
Alex Nilsson capped a positive individual showing with a brace of his own but he could have not achieved that without the assists of Daniel Ponce and Sergio Prendes around him.
Balzan could afford to leave the likes of Ivan Janjusevic and Clive Brincat on the bench and use Lydon Micallef, Nafti and Terence Agius only as substitutes.
Tarxien pressed high from the outset and did not allow their opponents any comfort on the ball. And it was no surprise that they were the first to score after only 11 minutes on the clock. Alex Nilsson picked Caruana's pass, advanced from the left and scored with a low drive.
Balzan took time to respond and although they tried to hold on to possession, they never really threatened during a mundane first half. In fact Tarxien's keeper Andrea Cassar had only to deal with tame efforts from Kaljevic and Effiong.
Tarxien did grow into the match briefly after the interval. After six minutes they doubled their lead. Ponce started the ball rolling from midfield, played it forward to Alex Nilsson who ran inside the Balzan area and again beat keeper Christian Cassar.
Balzan's dismal response to falling behind was to concede even more of the ball. They put in Abdelakrim Nafti for Piciollo and bridged the gap on 55 minutes. Tarxien's keeper rushed off his line to palm a high ball inside the penalty area but it fell staright to Alan Souza who steered it in between a host of legs.
Lydon Micallef immediately went in for Kaljevic as Balzan probed for the equaliser.
Showing more urgency they started to dictate play as Tarxien retreated further at the back. Effiong had a shot going narrowly wide.
Balazan's hopes were dented when their central defender Elkin Serrano was sent off for a second caution.
Paul Fenech almost got the equaliserat the start of added time when his shot from the edge of the area went narrowly over.
But Balzan were not finished yet. Deep into five minutes of added time they even clinched a dramatic equaliser, winning a free kick just outside the Tarxien area and Abdelkarim Nafti drilled an arrow-like shot past keeper Andrea Cassar to save his side.
Photos Domenic Aquilina
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