Mosta, Hamrun return to winning ways

Mosta extended their positive run since Steve D’Amato took over as their new coach as they returned to winning ways, defeating Balzan Youths 1-0.

The Blues therefore join Tarxien on the ten-point mark while Balzan remain in seventh place on seventeen.

Both sides had two changes from their last outing. For Mosta, Jonathan Bajada and Firas Aboulezz replaced Gilbert Martin and the suspended Sheldon Grech while Luca Martinelli was also unavailable. Balzan had Miguel Ciantar and Kris Bright both included in the starting line-up.

The Youths had the first attempt at goal on the 21st minute with a Pedro dos Santos Calcado freekick, ending just wide following a slight deflection. Jonathan Debono then neutralised a Miguel Ciantar effort on 26 minutes.

Mosta managed to break the deadlock three minutes in the second half thanks to a goal by Michel Bertrand Maki Mvondo whose powerful shot beat goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri.

The Balzan goalkeeper turned into a corner a Firas Aboulezz corner on 59 minutes. On the hour, Ian Zammit hit high fro a direct freekick.

Following a corner by Pedrinho from the right, Rennie Forace had a shot from close range parried by Debono.

Michel Betrand Maki Mvondo was voted BOV Player of the Match.

Photo: Copyright © www.stephengatt.com

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MOSTA Jonathan Debono, Adrian Borg, Bryan Agius, Federico Tisbi, Yannick Ossok, Nikola Bogdanovic, Kurt Magro, Firas Aboulezz, Ian Zammit, Michel Bertrand Maki Mvondo, Jonathan Bajada.
Subs not used: Glenn Zammit, Wayne Sciberras, Kane Farrugia, Alex Cini, John Paul Grima, Steven Schembri, Pio Vassallo.
Coach: Steve D’Amato

BALZAN Matthew Camilleri, Roderick Farrugia, Bledjon Guga (62’ Fagner Lins Bernardes), Clifton Ciantar, Yessous Camilleri (62’Jonathan Francica), Nikola Tasic, Rennie Forace, Dylan Grima, Miguel Ciantar (46’ Lydon Micallef), Pedro dos Santos Calcado, Kris Bright.
Subs not used: Fredrick Tabone, Bjorn Bondin, David Fenech, Silvan Ciscaldi.
Coach: Joe Borg
Team Manager: Ivan Zammit

Referee: Clayton Pisani
Assistant referees: Edward Spiteri, William Debattista
Fourth official: Mario Apap
Yellow Cards: Francica, Agius, Ossok, Borg, Zammit
Scorers: 48’ Michel Bertrand Maki Mvondo

Hamrun Spartans returned to victory as they defeated Tarxien Rainbows 3-1 in a clash between two teams from the lower part of the table. The Spartans move eighth on fourteen points, four ahead of the Rainbows.

For Tarxien, this was the fourth consecutive defeat and now share the bottom place with Mosta.

Coaches Jesmond Zammit and Patrick Curmi made a number of changes to their starting line-ups as both sides were coming from successive defeats.

Hamrun welcomed back Rupert Mangion and Kevin Sammut but Omar Borg, Roderick Fenech, Massimo Grima, Lee James Agius, Gaetan Spiteri and Carlos Eduardo Toneto Porcari were all ruled out. The Rainbows lacked Stefan Giglio and Daniel Mariano Bueno but Caio Garcia Suguino and Ricardo Costa returned after missing the last game.

Dene Shields almost surprised David Cassar with a shot from outside the area but the Tarxien goalkeeper saved in two attempts on 21 minutes.

Hamrun forged ahead on 24 minutes when Anderson Mendes Ribeiro served Dene Shields whose low shot beat goalkeeper Andrea Cassar.

Tarxien replied with a good pass by Ricardo Costa for Caio Garcia Suguino but the latter his high from inside the area on the 29th minute.

The Spartans doubled the score eight minutes from the end of the first half when Dene Shield returned the compliment to Anderson Mendes Ribeiro whose conclusion beat Cassar.

Early in the second half, the Rainbows appealed for a penalty following an alleged handling of the ball inside the area.

However on 49 minutes, Anderson Mendes Ribeiro increased the lead for Hamrun when off a Kevin Sammut corner from the left, he slotted the ball past goalkeeper David Cassar.

Two minutes later, Tarxien pulled one back when hey were awarded a penalty for a foul by Nikica Gacesa on Ricardo Costa. The Brazilian midfielder made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Dene Shields could have increased the lead seven minutes from time after Anderson Ribeiro anticipated goalkeeper David Cassar with the former hitting just wide.

Anderson Mendes Ribeiro was voted BOV Player of the Match.

Photo: Copyright © www.stephengatt.com

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HAMRUN Andrea Cassar, Carlo Polli, Matthew Gauci, Nikica Gacesa, David Camilleri, Rupert Mangion, Kevin Sammut, Gianluca Calabretta (71’ Daniel Zerafa)(81’ Craig Debattista), Dene Shields, Anderson Mendes Ribeiro (91′ Ryan Spiteri), Steve Bonnici.
Subs not used: Jean Claude Debattista, Glen Azzopardi, Luke Grech, Luis Fernando Silva.
Coach: Jesmond Zammit
Assistant Coach: Vince Carbonaro

TARXIEN David Cassar, Steve Sadowski, Carl Sammut, Manuel Caruana (55’ Warren Zerafa), Everton Antonio Pereira, Ricardo Costa, Julian Vella (78’ Luke Vella Critien), Orosco Anonam, Lee Galea, Caio Garcia Suguino, Justin Grioli (92′ Clive Fenech).
Subs not used: Nicky Vella, Adrian Carabott, Karl Pulo, Ryan Mintoff.
Coach: Patrick Curmi
Assistant Coach: Michael Church

Referee: Paul Caruana
Assistant referees: Konrad Borg, Roberto Vella
Fourth official: Malcolm Spiteri
Yellow Cards: Gacesa, Gauci, Ribeiro, C. Sammut
Scorers: 24′ Dene Shields, 37′ Anderson Mendes Ribeiro, 49′ Anderson Mendes Ribeiro, 51′ Ricardo Costa (pen)
Attendance: 611