A dramatic late own goal from substitute Sven Xerri denied Ħamrun Spartans a third consecutive win as Sliema Wanderers salvaged a 1-1 draw in a tense encounter at the National Stadium. Despite taking the lead through Luke Montebello’s second-half strike, the Spartans were left ruing their missed chances as Sliema clawed back a point in the dying minutes.
Ħamrun coach Alessandro Zinnardi faced a selection headache heading into the match, with key players Roko Prsa and Shaisen Attard joining an already extensive injury list. Forced to field an inexperienced midfield trio of Kean Scicluna, Gabriel Vella, and Daniel Letherby, Zinnardi’s options were limited, although the return of Montebello in attack provided some much-needed firepower.
In contrast, Sliema manager Paul Zammit stuck with his winning formula, opting to keep Slovenian striker Vito Plut on the bench once again.
The opening 45 minutes offered little in the way of excitement, with both teams struggling to find rhythm in a subdued atmosphere. Sliema’s Mohammed Awad wasted the best chance of the half, slicing a diagonal effort wide in the 18th minute.
For Ħamrun, Montebello’s ferocious free-kick on 23 minutes forced a fine save from Kelvin Agu, who tipped the ball over the bar to keep the scores level.
Zinnardi was dealt another blow just before the break when Juan Carlos Corbalan was forced off injured, replaced by Matthias Ellul in a reshuffled Spartans defence.
The second half began much like the first, with neither side managing to assert themselves in the final third. Controversy struck in the 55th minute when Ħamrun were denied what looked like a clear penalty after Sliema’s Wescley appeared to handle the ball in the box. TV replays suggested the Brazilian was fortunate to escape punishment.
Despite the frustration, Montebello eventually gave Ħamrun the lead with a clinical finish in the 81st minute. Raphael Lopes broke free on the right and delivered a perfectly timed square ball to Montebello, who struck sweetly past Agu to put the Spartans ahead.
With just minutes left, Ħamrun looked to be heading for a crucial win. But disaster struck in the 87th minute when substitute Xerri turned Jonatan Bastos’s speculative shot into his net, gifting Sliema a late equaliser out of nowhere.
Montebello had the chance to restore Ħamrun’s lead in stoppage time after Xerri delivered a low cross into his path, but the Malta international fired wide, much to the frustration of the Spartans’ bench.
While Sliema will be relieved to have snatched a point, Ħamrun will be left wondering what might have been. Zinnardi’s side showed flashes of promise despite their injury troubles but were ultimately undone by a lapse in concentration at the back.
For both teams, it’s back to the drawing board as they look to build on this result in their upcoming fixtures. With the Bottom Six battle heating up, every point matters and this draw could prove pivotal in the weeks to come.
