SLIEMA WANDERERS-                 2

HAMRUN SPARTANS-                   1

 

Sliema Wanderers’ fifth win from their last six matches, sees them join the pack of three teams, grouped behind Valletta and Birkirkara in third place in the BOV Premier League standings.

Although deserved overall, this win  followed a far from marquee performance by the Wanderers . Both teams showed sterility for too long and it was only in the last 25 minutes, after Hamrun were down to ten men, that the tedium was broken with three goals in the final 20 minutes.

This defeat halted Hamrun’s run of four positive matches, which had earned them ten points., since their debacle against Valletta.

Central defender Branco Timotic was given a rare start after several weeks on the sidelines. That was not the only surprise pick in Sliema’s starting line-up though. Playing Beppe Muscat in midfield was equally out of the usual.

However, after 28 minutes, coach Greco made a tactical change, removing Muscat and introducing Miguel Ciantar wide on the left. Laudisi was shifted to the right and Scerri retreated in front of the defence, alongside Muchardi.

The Wanderers were sharper than their opponents in midfield but were stifled by Hamrun’s organised defence as soon as they came within sight of the Spartans’ area.

Taking a laid back approch, Hamrun lacked creativity and were unable to provide their forwards with decent service. Terence Vella was again too isolated up front and was given little support by Ryan Spiteri and Massimo Grima. The latter, returning from suspension after missing the match against Qormi, was deployed in an unusual advanced midfield role behind the striker, but looked rarther uneasy in that position. He was eventually substituted by Daniel Zerafa soon after the start of the second half.

For the first 20 minutes, neither keeper needed be in attendance as goalmouth action remained at a premium. After that, we were presented with a Ruggiero tame effort that landed in keeper Cassar’s safe hands. Ruggiero was Sliema’s most mobile player and shortly before the break, his incursion inside the Hamrun area on Woods’ low pass, was blocked by the Spartans’ defence.

The second half was more eventful , although play remained of the poorest quality. Sliema were always slightly superior, even more after Hamrun were reduced to ten men on 65 minutes. Their Bulgarian midfielder Vitanov, already  cautioned in the first half for protesting hotly and too long with the referee, was sent off for showing dissent.

That was the turning point of the match. Sliema had gone close towards the hour when Ciantar clipped the upright from the left on a Laudisi corner.

On 71 minutes, Alain Faccini, who had gone in as a substitute two minutes earlier, swivelled  inside the Hamrun area from the right and when faced with two opponents, he placed his shot past the helpless keeper Cassar, with the ball probably taking a slight deflection.

Sliema went close again eight minutes later, with Ruggiero’s low drive from the left going across the face of the Hamrun goal.

On 80 minutes the Wanderers doubled their lead. Ruggiero’s cross from the left was fisted out by keeper Cassar but Miguel Ciantar picked up the clearance and  scored with a low strike.

Hamrun’s efforts in the final six minutes almost brought them close to restoring parity. Substitute Boshov’s low effort forced keeper Bonello into the most difficult save of the match, as he stretched himself to turn into a corner.

The Spartans pulled a goal back with five minutes remaining, when awarded a penalty as Yoshev was pulled inside the area by Martinelli. David Camilleri tucked it away but it was too little too late for Hamrun to avoid defeat.

Sliema W: H. Bonello, A. Muscat, L. Martinelli, B. Timotic, M.Scerri, L. Ruggiero, C. Gatt  Baldacchino, I. Woods, A. Laudisi (A. Faccini), M. Muchardi, B. Muscat (M. Ciantar)

Hamrun S: A. Cassar, M. Grima (D. Zerafa), R. Spiteri, T. Vella (N. Bozhov), G. Calabretta (L. Grech), A. Ivanov, R. Fenech, L. Vitanov, A. Yoshev, A. Vergilov , D. Camilleri

Referee: C. Pisani

Asst.refs: M. Debono, C. Francalanza

4th official: G. Tonna

Scorers: A. Faccini 71, M. Ciantar 80, D. Camilleri 85 pen

Yellow cards: G. Calabretta, L. Vitanov, L. Martinelli, R. Fenech, B. Timotic, A. Faccini, A. Vergilov

Red card: L. Vitanov

Player of the match:  L. Ruggiero (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. L. Ruggiero  2. M. Muchardi  3. D. Camilleri