BALZAN 1
Akpan 57 pen.
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 1
Lopes Silva 35
BALZAN
D. Golovic, G. Camilleri (54 K. Engerer), S. Arab, N. Pulis, J. Busuttil (71 I. Westendorf), B. Hili (74 J. Grech), O. Awosanya, H. Stanic, K. Williams, U. Akpan, M. Noaves (15 M. Ahadi).
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
Celio, M. Ellul, S. Xerri, L. Montebello (81 S. Attard), C. Ondong, J. Mbong (81 W. Barros), R. Prsa, E. Freitas (81 Eder), Mayron, E. Marcelina. R. Lopes Silva.
Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Yellow cards Noaves, Camilleri, Stanic, Ahadi, Montebello, Engerer.
Red card: Stanic (B) 74.
Ħamrun Spartans dropped more points in the 360 Sports Malta Premier when they were held by Balzan.
It was a disappointing outcome for the Malta champions who had dominated the first half and taken a deserved lead.
But they failed to kill off their opponent and were punished early in the second half when Akpan levelled matters from a penalty.
Although Balzan finished with ten men, the Spartans failed to find a winner and had to settle with a point.
The Spartans were soon on the front foot and after two minutes Raphael Lopes Silva hit a thumping drive that was saved by Danilo Golovic.
On ten minutes Ondog Mba latched onto Montebello’s corner kick but headed over.
After that early flurry of opportunities, Ħamrun lost a bit of that early fluency and started to lose possession cheaply allowing Balzan to start gaining ground on the pitch but never threatening Francisco Celio in the Spartans’ goal.
It was Ħamrun who finally broke the stalemate on 35 minutes. Prsa sent a perfect throughball into the path of Lopes Silva who turned past Golovic and deposited the ball into an empty net.
Ħamrun should have doubled their lead four minutes from the break when Montebello pounced on a short backpass by Gary Camilleri but the Malta striker was denied by Golovic.
Minutes later, Ondong connected to another Montebello delivery but headed wide from close in.
On the restart, Ħamrun were stunned by Balzan as on 56 minutes Sven Xerri floored Awosanya inside the area and from the spot Akpan sent Celio the wrong way to level matters.
Awosanya threatened again on 63 minutes when he turned past Mayron but was denied by Celio.
Ħamrun tried to respond and 67 minutes Golovic kept out Prsa’s shot.
Balzan had a huge chance to take the lead when Ahadi released Akpan who was denied from point-blank by Celio.
On 74 minutes, Stanic, who had just been booked, was shown a second yellow card for dissent.
Seven minutes from time Ondong missed the impossible when he fired wide in front of a gaping goal after a fine move from Wendel Barros.
Prsa thought he won it on 89 minutes when he fired home the rebound but the ‘goal’ was annulled for offside.
