Mosta secured their inaugural three points in the 360Sports Malta Premier by overcoming reigning champions Hamrun Spartans 1-0 at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Sunday.
For the Spartans, this marked their first loss following two victories and a draw in their opening three fixtures. Their performance was notably underwhelming, compounded by a missed penalty towards the end of the first half. Conversely, Mosta delivered arguably their finest performance to date.
Hamrun made three alterations to the team that had triumphed over Melita, with Mattias Ellul, Eder, and Raphael Lopes being replaced by Elionay, Wendel Barros, and new signing Chris Odong Mba.
In contrast, Mosta introduced three debutants – Prince Afire, Lassana Coulibaly, and Souleymane Lone. Leo Fernandes also featured in the starting line-up. Absent from the squad were Tegwi Shedrack Thomas and Cristian, while Richard Luca and Matheus Cambuci were named among the substitutes. Additionally, another new player, Chisom Sunday Okereke, was included as a substitute.
Hamrun Spartans had a golden opportunity to take the lead just before half-time when they were awarded a penalty during added time. This came after Lassina Larsson Coulibaly fouled Juan Carlos Corbalan inside the box. However, Luke Montbello’s penalty shot struck the crossbar, denying them the advantage.
With ten minutes remaining, the Spartans found themselves down to ten men following Ryan Camenzuli’s dismissal for inappropriate language.
Mosta capitalised on their numerical superiority, clinching the victory a minute from the end. Substitute Chisom Sunday Okereke outmanoeuvred goalkeeper Henry Bonello to score with a header from the left.
