ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 0
LAUSANNE 1
Diakite 38
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
H. Bonello, R. Compri, S. Thioune, V. Polito, N. Koffi (82 S. Smajlagic), A. Coric, Eder (82 J. Cadenovic), O. Bjelicic (90 S. Attard), M. Hadzi (63 M. El Fanis), E. Marcelina, R. Camenzuli.
LAUSANNE
K. Letica, B. Soppy, B. Okoh, J. Roche, T. Bair (66 A. Ajdini), O. Custodio, N. Butler-Oyedeji (57 N. Beloko), K. Mouanga, M. Poaty, G. Sigua (46 B. Lekoueiry), G. Diakite 86 (H. Abdallah).
Referee Henri Nalbandyan (Armenia).
Yellow cards Hadzi, Roche, Eder, Abdallah.
Ħamrun Spartans were made to pay for a series of missed chances as the Malta champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Swiss side FC Lausanne in the UEFA Conference League at the National Stadium.
Despite facing much more-quoted opponents in the form of Lausanne-Sport, the Spartans produced another battling performance against the Swiss giants and surely have left Ta’ Qali with a lot of recriminations, as they missed a string of clear-cut chances that would have given them a different outcome.
But at this level, it’s a know fact that you can’t afford to miss chances as they come back to haunt you and Lausanne netted the all-important goal just 60 seconds after Saliou Thioune missed a real sitter.
The result might have left the Spartans still without a point after two matches, but the Malta champions are holding their own against the top sides of the competition and can look at their next fixture, an arduous trip to front-runners Samsunspor in Turkey, with belief that they again impress.
Ħamrun Spartans coach Giacomo Modica made two changes to the team that lost to Polish side Jagiellonia a fortnight ago.
Swiss winger Merlin Hadzi was handed a first start in the League Phase as he replaced the suspended Joseph Mbong, while Emerson Marcelina was preferred to Domantas Simkus.
The Brazilian slotted in the back four with Ognjen Bjelicic filling the defensive midfielder role vacated by Simkus.
The opening minutes of the match turned out to be a hard-fought affair with both teams battling for supremacy in midfield, with scoring chances a rarity.
Ħamrun Spartans managed the first shot towards goal of the match after 18 minutes when Raphael Compri’s cross was cleared by the Lausanne defence and Ante Coric’s volley finished over the bar.
However, the best chance was created by Lausanne, who following a quick transition, Morgan Pouaty raced inside the Ħamrun Spartans area and squared the ball to Theo Bair, who saw his effort somehow kept out by Bonello with the aid of Ognjen Bjelicic.
The Ħamrun Spartans goalkeeper was again at his best on 31 minutes when he made himself big to block Bair’s effort from inside the area.
Lausanne continued to threaten, and two minutes later Olivier Custodio thought he put his team ahead when his first-time flick looked destined to hit the net, but Bonello showed great reflexes to save his effort.
The match was now frenetic, and ten minutes from the break, Saliou Thioune missed a huge chance to put Ħamrun ahead.
Koffi latched onto a throughball and served Hadzi inside the area. The Swiss winger pushed the ball into the path of Thioune, who, with only goalkeeper Karlo Letica to beat, he saw his shot pushed away by the Lausanne custodian.
The Spartans paid dearly for this miss as three minutes later, Gaoussou Diakite hit a curling drive that flew past Bonello and into the net via the upright.
Just before the half-time whistle, Bonello had to be alert to block a central header from Jamie Roche as the Swiss took a slim lead at the interval.
Diakite continued to cause trouble for the Spartans’ defence with his pace and trickery and on 47 minutes, his effort was deflected to the side-netting.
Four minutes later, in a quick counter-attack, Thioune sped past his marker but fired into the side netting with Letica only to beat.
On the hour mark, Ante Coric picked up a pass on the edge of the area and his curling drive just whizzed past the bar with Letica beaten.
The Spartans continued to threaten and on 67 minutes substitute Mouad El Fanis picked Koffi a few metres out, but headed wide in front of a gaping goal.
Ħamrun’s pressure was relentless, and five minutes from time Coric’s cross created havoc with the Lausanne defender somehow clearing to a corner as the Swiss side held on for the win.
