Qormi bounced back from the defeat to Rabat last week as they defeated Melita 2-0. A win which puts Jesmond Zerafa’s side back on track towards safety.
On the other hand, this was the fifth consecutive defeat for Melita who remain at the bottom of the table with seven points.
The Amateurs lacked Matthew Borg and Andrew Caruana Scicluna but Karl Vella Petroni after serving a one-match ban. Jonathan Bondin was missing for Qormi.
Qormi had the first attempt at goal on the 6th minute when off a Joseph Chetcuti corner from the left, Moises Avila Perez went close with a good header which was neutralised by Gabilondo Garcia. Melita replied with a shot from outside the area by Julian Galea which was saved by Matthew Farrugia on the 19th.
Five minutes from the end of the first half, Qormi managed to take the lead when off a Stephen Wellman freekick, there was a short clearance and Moises Avila Perez hit low past goalkeeper Guillermo Gabilondo Garcia.
Three minutes later, Edison Bilbao Zarate pounced on a short pass, advanced into the area and beat the Melita goalkeeper with a diagonal shot from the left.
Qormi goalie Matthew Farrugia performed a great save on a Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho freekick, turning the ball into a corner on 65 minutes.
After having a goal disallowed for an offside, an Ivan Tufegdzic close-range effort was neutralised by the Qormi custodian in stoppage time.
Edison Bilbao Zarate was voted BOV Player of the Year.
QORMI Matthew Farrugia, Kris Thackray, Roderick Sammut, Alfred Effiong (92’ Alessio Cassar), Joseph Chetcuti (80’ Christian Cassar), Moises Avila Perez, Luke Sciberras, Edison Bilbao Zarate, Duncan Pisani, Stephen Wellman, Leighton Grech (72’ Matthew Bartolo).
Subs not used: Steve Sultana, Dormond Micallef, Matthew Gauci, Dylan Pirotta.
Coach: Jesmond Zerafa
Asst. Coach: Joe Brincat
MELITA Guillermo Gabilondo Garcia, Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho, Karl Vella Petroni (46’ Luke Sammut), George Gribbon, Ivan Tufegdzic, Julian Galea, Michael Valenzia (53’ Alan Borg Olivier), Michael Martin (71’ Jean Pierre Attard), Luke Micallef, Nigel Rizzo, Daniel Cabanillas Ayllon.
Subs not used: Andrew Abela, Rudi Alhinho, Luke Bianco, Vince Ringrose.
Coach: Alejandro Martinez Lopez
Asst. Coach: Alfred Zammit
Referee: Mario Apap
Assistant Referees: William Debattista, Edward Spiteri
Fourth Official: Clayton Pisani
Yellow Cards: Vella Petroni, Martin
Scorers: 40’ Moises Avila Perez, 43’ Edison Bilbao Zarate
Hamrun Spartans returned to winning ways as they came back from one goal down to beat Rabat Ajax 2-1. A first win for the Spartans after five consecutive defeats. Ironically, Hamrun had registered their last win over Rabat.
The Spartans move third from bottom on eleven points, two ahead of Rabat and four ahead of Melita.
Dylan Lanzon and Yan Cauchi were the latest casualties in the Rabat squad apart from Justin Felice and the usual Chris Schembri, Adam Smeir and Ryan Micallef. Hamrun welcomed back Massimo Grima but Roderick Fenech was ruled out through suspension.
Rabat threatened the Hamrun rear-guard on the 8th minute with attempts by Malcolm Licari and Manuel Moral Fuster which were somehow neutralised by Anthony Curmi. Five minutes later, a close-range shot by Jose Luis Armario Negrin was blocked by the Hamrun goalkeeper. A Malcolm Licari header, off a Diego Carrillo corner, was cleared off the goal line by Massimo Grima on 24 minutes. The Spartans replied with an Emiliano Lattes long-distance shot ending just over the bar.
The Magpies took the lead six minutes from the end of the first half when off an assist by Manuel Moral Fuster for Diego Carrillo, the latter’s cross was well-met by Malcolm Licari who headed the ball home past goalkeeper Anthony Curmi.
Two minutes in the second half, Hamrun went close with a Loic Lumbilla header, off a cross by Terence Vella from the left, ending just wide. On the other side of the pitch, a close-range header by Negrin hit the foot of the upright following a cross from the right by Carrillo.
A shot from outside the area by Terence Vella on the hour was parried by Sean Mintoff. Two minutes later, Vella released Lumbilla inside the area but his low diagonal shot from the left was deflected into a corner by the Rabat custodian.
Hamrun levelled matters on 69 minutes when off a corner by David Camilleri from the right, the ball reached Adrian Borg whose low shot from the edge of the area beat Mintoff.
The Magpies’ immediate reaction consisted of a rising shot by Manuel Moral Fuster which just eneded just over the bar.
The Spartans forged ahead four minutes from time thanks to David Camilleri direct from a corner from the right with the ball hitting the upright before ending at the back of the net.
On the other side of the pitch, following a freekick from the right, Wayne Borg headed the ball in the direction of Diego Carrillo whose conclusion scraped past the post.
Diego Carrillo was voted BOV Player of the Match.
RABAT Sean Mintoff, Gaetano Gesualdi, Ivan Carapic, Joseph Caruana, Malcolm Licari (79’ Wayne Borg), Jose Luis Armario Negrin, Manuel Moral Fuster, Clive Brincat, Diego Carrillo Pendas, David Azzopardi, Clifford Gauci.
Subs not used: Jonathan Azzopardi, Neil Caruana, Luke Cauchi, Patrick Borg, Shaun Gauci, Chris Vella.
Coach: Silvio Vella
Asst. Coach: Joseph Galea
HAMRUN Anthony Curmi, Glenn Azzopardi, Adrian Borg, Bledjon Guga, Massimo Grima, David Camilleri, Giacomo Favero, Loic Lumbilla Kandja, Terence Vella (91’ Luke Grech), Emiliano Lattes, Ryan Spiteri (56’ Daniel Zerafa).
Subs not used: Andrea Cassar, Cesar Catelan Clemente, Gianluca Debattista, Melvin Busuttil, Rodney Refalo.
Coach: Stefan Sultana
Asst. Coach: Jeffrey Mifsud
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Assistant Referees: Mitchell Scerri, Albert Borg Cardona
Fourth Official: Chris Lautier
Yellow Cards: Favero, Brincat
Scorers: 39’ Malcolm Licari (R); 69’ Adrian Borg (H); 86’ David Camilleri (H)
Attendance: 300