Sliema W: S. Agius, I. Azzopardi, J. Mifsud, R. Fenech, M. Scerri, J.P. Mifsud Triganza, C. Gatt Baldacchino (H. Isaac), I. Woods (M. Bartolo), L. Dronca (A. Muscat), I. Ciantar, C. Failla

Birkirkara: J. Mora, B. Nisevic, P. Fenech, T. Cilia, M. Galea, N. Vukanac, S. Bajada (T. Paris), J. Zerafa, S. Comvalius (R. Muscat), A. Buhagiar, G. Mallia (A.Tabone)

Referee: A. Casha Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, F. Zammit 4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: T. Cilia, M. Galea, S. Comvalius

Yellow cards: J.P. Mifsud Triganza, J. Mifsud, R. Fenech

Player of the match: Trevor Cilia (Birkirkara)

TMI top three: 1. S. Bajada 2. T. Cilia 3. P. Fenech



Sliema Wanderers were left feeling blue after yesterday's drubbing by Birkirkara, their fourth league defeat in seven matches, that leaves them seven points adrift of leaders Qormi.

It was yet another disappointing performance by Sliema, who, not for the first time this season, looked vulnerable in defence, tetchy and lacking creativity in midfield and toothless in attack. What was more disappointing was the Wanderers' ineptitude to hit back after falling three times in arrears by the half hour.

Birkirkara had their work cut early, with three first half goals in as many minutes, to wrap all three points and improve on their recent poor record, having only obtained one point from their previous two matches. By virtue of this win they now move to joint second place on equal points with Hibernians and Valletta, the latter playing their match in hand today.

Both teams wanted to maintain a sustained challenge for the top places.

Matthew Bartolo made way for Ivan Woods in Sliema's starting line-up, while Angus Buhagiar also started for Birkirkara as Thomas Paris was exiled to the bench. So there was hardly anything new tactically with both sides trying to stifle each other once they advanced from the halfway line.

There were half chances at both ends for the first quarter hour with Failla putting his shot off target and, on the other end, Cilia's cross was blocked into a corner.

On the quarter hour, Scerri played the ball forward to put Mifsud Triganza clear. The latter's lob over the keeper failed to find the target.

Midway through the half, Birkirkara started to establish hegemony in midfield where the outstanding Bajada was imperious when the mood took him.

And once Birkirkara began to employ a sophisticated passing game which allowed Cilia to terrorise Sliema's lumbering defence with his wide play, there was only one outcome.

On 21 minutes Zerafa advanced down the left flank with alarming ease and crossed low for Galea to connect well but keeper Agius held out his flick with a superb reflex save.

But Agius was rendered helpless two minutes later when Bajada's short pass put Trevor Cilia clear inside the Sliema area from the right to beat the Sliema keeper with a low diagonal shot.

Hardly one minute later, Birkirkara increased their lead. Cilia turned supplier with a cross from the byeline on the right again for Michael Galea to head beyond the keeper's reach.

Sliema's naive defending, and Azzopardi's poor cover in particular, allowed Mallia to cross from the right and Sylvano Comvalius to lob beyond the helpless Agius.

Sliema were visibly stunned but could not get going as their midfielders Failla, Woods and Fenech looked completely out of sorts.

Failla's long range shot was the Wanderers' only response before coach Azzopardi withdrew Dronca and put in Alex Muscat on the right flank to push more forward.

For the second half, Sliema also took off Gatt Baldacchino, moved Azzopardi in central defence and introduced Henry Isaac in attack. Failla and Muscat were the wide players.

But that hardly troubled Birkirkara, who defended their comfortable cushion with minimal difficulty, even because Sliema struggled to produce sufficient incisive movement among their attacking players.

A Ciantar free kick went over and even Bartolo's late introduction failed to give the Wanderers the much required impetus.

The Stripes still remained the more potent going forward and on 73 minutes, Galea's pass from the left fell to substitute Tabone who shot narrowly off target.

Outclassed, but also outfought, Sliema surrendered to a competent and more efficient Birkirkara side, as the game wore on, well aware that their time was up.