Spartans march on as they defeat Gzira 2-1

Hamrun Spartans stay two points clear in the BOV Premier League thanks to a 2-1 over Gzira United at the National Stadium on Saturday in the first of two direct clashes for the title for Mark Buttigieg’s side.

This sixth consecutive win for Hamrun extended their positive run to seventeen matches. A win which surely raises their morale ahead of next week’s clash with Hibernians.

Gzira, on the other hand, suffer a first defeat after eight successive wins and now lie five points and seven points behind Hibernians and Hamrun Spartans respectively.

The Spartans took the lead on the 27th minute when off a cross by Ailton Jorge dos Santos Soares, Franklin Sasere slammed the ball past goalkeeper Justin Haber.

Twelve minutes from time, Hamrun doubled the score when off a cross by Ailton Jorge Soares from the left for Claude Dielna whose first-time effort gave the Gzira goalkeeper no chance.

Gzira pulled one back in added time thanks to a Martin Davis penalty after Steve Borg was adjudged to have been fouled inside the area.

GZIRA Justin Haber, Gabriel Bohrer Mentz, Steve Borg, Nikolai Muscat (60′ Steve Pisani, Martin Davis, Nevin Portelli (74′ Dexter Xuereb), Maxuell Maia da Silva, Jackson Mendoza, Ricardo Correa, Sacha Borg (75′ Andrew Cohen), Bahrudin Atajic (60′ Jefferson de Assis).
Coach: Darren Abdilla

HAMRUN Manuel Bartolo, Darko Gojkovic, Matthew Guillaumier, Joseph Mbong, Ailton Jorge dos Santos Soares, Franklin Sasere, Elkin Serrano Valero, Juan Carlos Corbalan, Predrag Djordjevic, Claude Dielna, Seydou Doumbia (75′ Abdullahi Ige Adeshina).
Coach: Mark Buttigieg

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Mitchell Scerri
Fourth Official: Slobodan Petrovic
Yellow Cards: Sasere, Davis, Djordjevic, Mendoza
BOV Player of the Match: Juan Corbolan