Ħamrun Spartans striker Raphael Lopes shoots at goal. Photo: Joe Galea
LINCOLN RED IMPS 0
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 1
Vitao 89
(agg; 1-1; Lincoln win 5-4 on penalties)
LINCOLN RED IMPS
N. Santana, I. Ayew, J. Sergeant (112 J. Valarino), B. Lopes, Nano, L. Casciaro (14 G. Torrilla) (106 M. Yahaya), Joe, E. Britto, T. De Barr, D. Bent, V. Villacanas (70 R. Munoz).
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
H. Bonello, R. Camenzuli, E. Marcelina, S. Borg, J. Corbalan (46 L. Montebello), Eder (78 D. Letherby), R. Prsa (104 M. Ellul), J. Mbong, Talison (63 Vitao), R. Lopes, W. Barros (106 Mayron).
Referee: Eric Wattellier (France).
Yellow cards: Mbong, Joe, De Barr, Eder, Alarcon, Borg, Yahaya.
Ħamrun Spartans crashed out of the UEFA Champions League when they were beaten by ten-man Gibraltar side Lincoln Red Imps in a penalty shoot-out after the Malta champions had levelled the tie with a 1-0 win over Europa Stadium.
A goal scored by Vitao in the 89th minute kept alive the Spartans’ hopes of completing the turnaround after last week’s 1-0 defeat at the Centenary Stadium.
However, their hopes were dashed the shoot-out as Lincoln Red Imps converted all five penalties while Steve Borg missed the Maltese side’s fifth and final penalty to condemn his team to defeat.
It was a disappointing end to a match which saw Ħamrun Spartans dominate their opponents, who were reduced to ten men after only four minutes of play.
But despite creating a number of chances the Spartans could not convert their superiority into goals until Vitao’s late intervention.
Now, the Spartans will drop to the UEFA Conference League where they will face a tough tie against Kosovo side FC Ballkani who were surprisingling beaten by Andorra side UE Santa Coloma in a penalty shoot-out.
Ħamrun Spartans coach Alessandro Zinnari has made two changes to his starting formation as Brazilian duo Eder and Talison were brought on for the suspended Elionay Freitas and Mayron.
Lincoln also effected one change as Lee Casciaro started in place of the suospended forward Kike.
However, Casciaro’s match lasted only a few minutes as the home side were reduced to ten men after four minutes of play.
Striker Daniel Bent was shown a straight red card for midfielder Eder.
With the Spartans enjoying territorial dominance, Casciaro was withdrawn by the Lincoln coach and was replaced by Grame Torrilla.
Ħamrun created their first scoring opportunity after 14 minutes when Raphael Lopes hit a stinging drive that was somehow kept out by Santiago Nizaut and from the rebound Joseph Mbong failed to turn the ball into the net.
Two minutes later, the Spartans thought that they had taken the lead when Eder chipped the ball towards Lopes who outmuscled his marker and fired the ball into the net.
However, French referee Eric Wattellier annulled the goal after a VAR review that ruled that the Brazilian forward was in an offside position.
Eleven minutes from the break, Henry Bonello produced a fine one-handed save to deny Lincoln forward Joe.
At the other end, Steve Borg connected to Roko Prsa’s corner kick but headed over.
After the break, Zinnari withdrew Juan Corbalan and roped in Luke Montebello.
On 63 minutes, Prsa should have put Ħamrun ahead when he failed to divert the ball into the net from routine distance after being set up by Borg’s headed pass.
Midway through the second half Vitao replaced Talison and it was the Brazilian forward who struck at the death after he latched on to Borg’s pass and drill the ball past the Lincoln goalkeeper to send the match into extra-time.
Here, Ħamrun had an early chance when substitute Daniel Letherby picked up the ball on the edge of the area but fired over with only the Lincoln goalkeeper to beat.
He bar.
Ħamrun thought they won the tie when goalkeeper Zinaut was dispossessed on the edge of the area and Montebello saw his chip cleared off the line by a Lincoln defender.
From the rebound, Letherby hit a thumping drive that came off the bar.
The match drifted into a shoot-out and here Lincoln converted all five penalties with the Spartans converting four and Borg fires over to hand the win to the home side.
LINCOLN RED IMPS 0
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 1
Vitao 89
(agg; 1-1; Lincoln win 5-4 on penalties)
Lincoln Red Imps
N. Santana, I. Ayew, J. Sergeant (112 J. Valarino), B. Lopes, Nano, L. Casciaro (14 G. Torrilla) (106 M. Yahaya), Joe, E. Britto, T. De Barr, D. Bent, V. Villacanas (70 R. Munoz).
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
H. Bonello, R. Camenzuli, E. Marcelina, S. Borg, J. Corbalan (46 L. Montebello), Eder (78 D. Letherby), R. Prsa (104 M. Ellul), J. Mbong, Talison (63 Vitao), R. Lopes, W. Barros (106 Mayron).
Referee: Eric Wattellier (France).
Yellow cards: Mbong, Joe, De Barr, Eder, Alarcon, Borg, Yahaya.
Ħamrun Spartans crashed out of the UEFA Champions League when they were beaten by ten-man Gibraltar side Lincoln Red Imps in a penalty shoot-out after the Malta champions had levelled the tie with a 1-0 win over Europa Stadium.
A goal scored by Vitao in the 89th minute kept alive the Spartans’ hopes of completing the turnaround after last week’s 1-0 defeat at the Centenary Stadium.
However, their hopes were dashed the shoot-out as Lincoln Red Imps converted all five penalties while Steve Borg missed the Maltese side’s fifth and final penalty to condemn his team to defeat.
It was a disappointing end to a match which saw Ħamrun Spartans dominate their opponents, who were reduced to ten men after only four minutes of play.
But despite creating a number of chances the Spartans could not convert their superiority into goals until Vitao’s late intervention.
Now, the Spartans will drop to the UEFA Conference League where they will face a tough tie against Kosovo side FC Ballkani who were surprisingling beaten by Andorra side UE Santa Coloma in a penalty shoot-out.
Ħamrun Spartans coach Alessandro Zinnari has made two changes to his starting formation as Brazilian duo Eder and Talison were brought on for the suspended Elionay Freitas and Mayron.
Lincoln also effected one change as Lee Casciaro started in place of the suospended forward Kike.
However, Casciaro’s match lasted only a few minutes as the home side were reduced to ten men after four minutes of play.
Striker Daniel Bent was shown a straight red card for midfielder Eder.
With the Spartans enjoying territorial dominance, Casciaro was withdrawn by the Lincoln coach and was replaced by Grame Torrilla.
Ħamrun created their first scoring opportunity after 14 minutes when Raphael Lopes hit a stinging drive that was somehow kept out by Santiago Nizaut and from the rebound Joseph Mbong failed to turn the ball into the net.
Two minutes later, the Spartans thought that they had taken the lead when Eder chipped the ball towards Lopes who outmuscled his marker and fired the ball into the net.
However, French referee Eric Wattellier annulled the goal after a VAR review that ruled that the Brazilian forward was in an offside position.
Eleven minutes from the break, Henry Bonello produced a fine one-handed save to deny Lincoln forward Joe.
At the other end, Steve Borg connected to Roko Prsa’s corner kick but headed over.
After the break, Zinnari withdrew Juan Corbalan and roped in Luke Montebello.
On 63 minutes, Prsa should have put Ħamrun ahead when he failed to divert the ball into the net from routine distance after being set up by Borg’s headed pass.
Midway through the second half Vitao replaced Talison and it was the Brazilian forward who struck at the death after he latched on to Borg’s pass and drill the ball past the Lincoln goalkeeper to send the match into extra-time.
Here, Ħamrun had an early chance when substitute Daniel Letherby picked up the ball on the edge of the area but fired over with only the Lincoln goalkeeper to beat.
He bar.
Ħamrun thought they won the tie when goalkeeper Zinaut was dispossessed on the edge of the area and Montebello saw his chip cleared off the line by a Lincoln defender.
From the rebound, Letherby hit a thumping drive that came off the bar.
The match drifted into a shoot-out and here Lincoln converted all five penalties with the Spartans converting four and Borg fires over to hand the win to the home side.
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