Ħamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers have no margin of error in Top Six chase

Ħamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers are set to face off in one of the most important matches for their season when they play each other at the National Stadium this evening (kick-off: 6pm).

The Spartans and Sliema Wanderers have a lot of work to do to reach the Top Six and both sides have little margin for error in their final two matches.

At present, Ħamrun Spartans are currently fifth on 14 points, two clear of seventh-placed Sliema Wanderers, and failure to win this evening’s match could see the teams find themselves in a difficult situation ahead of the final round of the fixtures at the end of the month.

Sliema coach Paul Zammit is expecting another tight encounter and is urging his team not let their guard down or risk being punished by the Spartans.

“We’ve faced Ħamrun five times, and every match has been evenly balanced,” Zammit said.

“The only time they edged us was in the Super Cup, while the other encounters were highly tactical.

“There’s plenty of quality on the pitch, and with our final two matches against Ħamrun and Birkirkara, no team can expect an easy fixture.

“We’ve been playing well overall, but we’ve conceded goals that we could have avoided. The work ethic of my players is exceptional.

“We went through a period where, despite strong performances, the results didn’t go our way. Against Balzan, I wasn’t satisfied with the last 10 minutes, if we want to reach our targets, the entire squad must contribute.

“Our identity is clear, we haven’t dropped points due to poor performances, but because we’ve switched off at crucial moments in games”.

Ħamrun Spartans are coming from a difficult few days which saw the team suffer a 2-1 defeat to Mosta which cost the job of coach Alessandro Zinnari with Winston Muscat handed the team’s reins.

“When a team changes its coaching staff, there’s always a fresh energy,” Ħamrun captain Steve Borg said.

“Every coach has his philosophy, and now it’s up to us to make the most of these two training sessions before facing Sliema.

“Every team goes through difficult moments.

“This season, we’ve struggled with consistency, but I still believe in my players and our chances. Now, we need to turn the page and work toward being more stable.

“I thrive under pressure, it’s all about knowing how to use it to your advantage.

“My responsibility is to support the players and do everything I can to help the team bounce back from this rough patch.”

PLAYING ON THURSDAY

CENTENARY STADIUM

Naxxar Lions vs Marsaxlokk           18.00

TONY BEZZINA STADIUM

Mosta vs Melita           18.30

Żabbar SP vs Gżira       20.45

NATIONAL STADIUM

Ħamrun S. vs Sliema W.            18.30

Hibernians vs Balzan   2045