360Sports Malta Premier
Marsaxlokk………..0
Hamrun Spartans….1
Hamrun Spartans managed to beat Marsaxlokk with a goal at the end of the first half to reach the playoffs.
Ħamrun took the lead through Raphael Lopes Silva. The Brazilian striker was played in by Joseph Mbong and with Matthew Calleja Cremona only to beat he kept his cool to fire home.
This result meant that Marsaxlokk were eliminated and Hamrun made the playoffs.
In the fifteenth minute, a corner taken by Cadenovic found Prsa, whose header saw the ball go just over the crossbar.
In the twentieth minute, a golden chance for Marsaxlokk after Scicluna won the ball well from the defence and immediately passed to Soares, who broke into the box alone and with a powerful shot saw the ball cleared off the line by Bjelicic.
In the thirty-second minute, Ħamrun took the lead after Mbong sent a forward pass to Lopes, who with a fast run continued into the box and from in front of Cremona slotted into the net for 1-0.
In the fifty-fifth minute, Ħamrun went close to doubling the score after Prsa won the ball and immediately found Mihana, who from close range was denied by Calleja Cremona with a fine save.
In the fifty-ninth minute, a well-worked freekick by Marsaxlokk between Nikolai Muscat and Yuri Messias saw Muscat’s effort being turned away by Bonello for a corner.
In the eighty-fourth minute, a shot by Messias went over the bar.
In the final moments of the match, Marsaxlokk came close to scoring the equaliser after a shot by Lopez from outside the box deflected off a Ħamrun defender, hit the post and Bonello saved well to secure the victory for the Spartans.
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri
Player of the match: Roko Prsa of Ħamrun Spartans
Line-ups:
Marsaxlokk: Matthew Calleja Cremona, Karl Micallef, Nikolai Muscat, Yuri Messias, Jorge Soares, Martin Adamec (Jai Quintano), Lucas Lopez, Manuel Pena Beltre, Leandro Aguirre, Ryan Scicluna (C)
Ħamrun Spartans: Henry Bonello, Steve Borg (C), Sven Xerri (Rocha da Barbosa), Joseph Mbong, Roko Prsa (Daniel Letherby), Elionay Freitas, Jovan Cadenovic, Ognijen Bjelicic, Redon Mihana (Cesar Menacho), Ryan Camenzuli, Raphael Lopes
