Ante Coric celebrates Ħamrun Spartans' third goal against Lincoln Red Imps. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 3
El Fanis 65, Smajlagic 74, Coric 90
LINCOLN RED IMPS 1
Lopes 59
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
H. Bonello, R. Compri, M. Garcia (72 J. Cadenovic), S. Thioune (46 S. Smajlagic), J. Mbong (A. Coric), V. Polito, N. Koffi (90 S. Xerri), Eder (M. El Fanis), O. Bjelicic, E. Marcelina, R. Camenzuli.
LINCOLN RI
J. Hankins, C. Rutjens, B. Lopes (90 A. El Ghobashy), Mandi (82 J. Arguez), Kike (66 N. Pozo), A. De Barr, Toni, Nano, G. Torrilla, T. Kolega, B. Dabo (82 R. Munoz).
Ħamrun Spartans wrote a new page in the history of Maltese football as they came from a goal down to beat Lincoln Red Imps in the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League.
It was an historic victory for the Spartans, who became the first Maltese team to win a League Phase match in a UEFA club competition.
It was a hard-earned victory for Giacomo Modica’s men. After they dominated the first half, their failure to take their scoring chances put them in serious danger of suffering more frustration when Lincoln took the lead.
However, the Malta champions failed to throw in the towel and aided by the red card to Lincoln player Graeme Torrilla they launched a stirring fightback with goals from their three substitutes Mouad El Fanis, Semir Smajlagic and Ante Coric earned them a crucial win that lifts them closer to the play-off positions.
Ħamrun Spartans coach Giacomo Modica recalled winger Joseph Mbong, midfielder Eder and forward N’Dri Koffi to his starting formation as the Malta champions played in their usual 4-3-3 configuration.
On the other hand, Lincoln had two familiar figures in their starting line-up in Christian Rutjens, formerly of Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana, and winger Toni Kolega, who was in the past on the books of Gżira United.
Ħamrun Spartans started on the front foot and after three minutes hit a thumping drive that Lincoln goalkeeper Jaylan Hankins punched away, the Lincoln goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Joseph Mbong forced his way inside the area but his shot beat Hankins but whizzed past the upright.
Hankins was called again to action on seven minutes when he parried away Matias Garcia’s effort.
After that early flurry of chances, the match lost much of its intensity with play was continuously stopped by foul play from both sides.
Lincoln almost punished the Spartans’ all-out approach on 27 minutes when Mandi released Kike Gomez, who turned past Vincenzo Polito but fired over with only Bonello to beat.
At the other end, Mbong found Thioune unmarked inside the area, but the nippy forward fired high and wide.
Nine minutes from the break, Thioune found Garcia at the far post and the midfielder quickly teed up Bjelicic, who saw his shot pushed away by Hankins, with Thioune unable to turn the ball home.
Ħamrun threatened three minutes from the break when Thioune connected to Bjelicic’s cross but headed just wide.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Camenzuli raced clear on the right and his cross was not met by Thioune and in came Garzia who fired wide.
On the restart, Modica brought on Mouad El Fanis and Semar Smajlagic for Thioune and Eder in a bid to add more speed and firepower to his attack.
Smajlagic was soon in action when he was fed by Mbong and his shot was pushed away by Hankins.
Rutjens almost stunned the home side when the former Spartans defender hit a firm shot that was somehow kept out by Bonello’s foot.
The Spartans failed to heed this warning, as in their next attack, Lincoln scored. De Barr picked Bernardo Lopes inside the area and beat Bonello with a firm drive.
On 62 minutes, Lincoln’s Graem Torilla was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Koffi.
The Spartans took full advantage of the numerical advantage as in their next chance they equalised.
Koffi did well on the left to turn past his marker before pulling the ball back to El Fanis, who fired home. This was Ħamrun’s first goal in the League Phase of a UEFA club competition.
The Girbaltar side looked rattled, and Ħamrun took the lead on 75 minutes.
Raphael Compri’s first cross was blocked by a defender and the Brazilian quickly recovered the ball and teed up Smajlagic, who headed firmly into the net.
Twelve minutes from time, numerical parity was restored as Polito committed a second-bookable offence and was dismissed.
But the Spartans kept their composure and sealed their win in stoppage time when Smajlagic served substitute Ante Coric and the former Roma midfielder drilled the ball past Hankins to send the Spartans fans into ecstasy as history was made.
