SAMSUNSPOR 3
Holse 18; Kilinc 58 ; Mouandilmadji 77
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 0
Turkish giants Samsunspor maintained their perfect record in the UEFA Conference League after overcoming the challenge of Ħamrun Spartans at the Samsun Yeni 19 Mayıs Stadium.
It was a commanding performance from the Turks, who showed all their superior qualities against a fighting Ħamrun Spartans side who could not match the class of the home side.
Samsunspor were in control right from the outset and inspired by the surging runs of Anthony Musaba and the intelligence of Carlo Holse they took the game under control and never gave a chance to the Spartans to severely challenge them.
Ħamrun did try to mount a strong challenge but they were exposed time and again by Samsunspor’s long ball in quick transition while upfront they lacked the much-needed punch to grab a first-ever goal in the competition.
While it was a disappointing outcome, the Spartans will have certainly taken some valuable lessons from this match as they now switch their sights in Europe to a home match against Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps where they hope they can finally pick up their first points in the competition.
Coach Gianluca Modica opted to hand a starting spot to Matias Garcia and Semir Smajlagic, with Eder and Saliou Thioune forced to settle for a place on the bench.
Ħamrun created the first chance of the match on 12 minutes when Ognjen Bjelicic intercepted a Samsunspor clearance and found Koffi on the right flank.
The Ħamrun forward hit an angled drive that was pushed away by Samsunspor goalkeeper Okan Kocuk to a corner.
At the other end, goalkeeper Henry Bonello was at his best to preserve his team’s clean sheet.
Emre Kilinc sent a fine cross into the path of Mouandilmadji, whose thumping header was pushed away by the Spartans’ goalkeeper.
But the home side were not to be denied on 21 minutes. Emre Kilinc played in Carlo Holse, who slid the ball past Bonello.
Initially, the assistant referee raised his flag for offside, but after a VAR review, the Turkish side was awarded the goal as Holse was kept onside by Polito.
The Spartans were lucky not to concede a second goal on the half-hour mark, when Emre Kilinc anticipated the onrushing Bonello, but his shot was blocked on the line by Camenzuli with the aid of the upright. And in came Holse, who fired home, but the goal was annulled for a foul on Polito.
The Spartans were struggling to keep hold of the ball and every time they were trying to go direct on Smajlagic
Six minutes from the break, Koffi did well to create space for himself and pick Mbong inside the area with the Malta winger’s flick forcing Kocuk to push the ball away.
Samsunspor stepped up the pressure in the closing stages of the first half, with Bonello showing great reflexes to keep out Musaba’s cross from close in.
On the restart, Modica made two changes to his lineup as Eder and Saliou Thioune replaced Matias Garcia and Samir Smajlagic in a bid to add more mobility to his team’s attacking moves.
The Spartans seemed to be doing well to contain their opponents for much of the opening 13 minutes of the second half.
But that all changed on 58 minutes, when from a corner action, Zeki Yavru picked Emre Kilinc on the edge of the area and he let fly a fierce low drive that gave no chance to the diving Bonello.
The hosts were looking for more goals, and on 65 minutes, Rick Van Drogelen connected to Yavru’s delivery, but his header finished just wide.
Samsunspor added a third goal on 76 minutes when another long ball from goalkeeper Kocuk exposed the Spartans’ defence as Holse powered through and his diagonal shot was turned home by Mouandilmadji.
