Hamrun, Qormi eye wins in bid to move closer to safety

Hamrun Spartans and Qormi will be aiming for the three points on Tuesday in their bid to move closer to safety as they take on Mqabba and Mosta respectively in the two matches in programme at the Hibernians Stadium.

In the first match, the Spartans will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the Relegation Pool as they take on Mqabba. Four points separate the two teams and a win for Stefan Sultana’s side would give them a comfortable lead in the battle against relegation. Hamrun won the last three games and lost just one of the last seven matches.

Mqabba won two games and lost the other two in the Relegation Pool and therefore cannot afford another defeat on Tuesday. They lost 1-2 to Qormi last week after claiming maximum points from the games against Mosta and Marsaxlokk.

For Mqabba, David Fenech is suspended but Julian Briffa is set to return after missing the last game. The Spartans could not count on the suspended Gaetan Spiteri and possibly Dene Shields but Steve Bonnici will be back after serving a one-match ban.

Hamrun registered a 3-2 win over Mqabba in the first round but the Reds defeated them 2-0 in the second.

In the second match, Qormi seek another three precious points in their bid to secure their Premier League status as they take on Mosta. The team lead by Stephen Azzopardi returned to winning ways last week after defeating Mqabba. Three points which kept them at the top of the Relegation Pool. Abubakar Bello-Osagie is ruled out as he serves a one-match ban.

Mosta lost two of the last three matches although they bounced back with a 5-1 win over Marsaxlokk in their last outing. Against Qormi, they cannot afford to suffer another defeat as they are currently joint-third from bottom.

In the first round, Qormi beat Mosta 4-1 but the Blues registered a 1-0 win in the second round.