Danilo Doncic yesterday scored a late goal of inestimable importance for Sliema Wanderers to keep them in second place, still up with a championship challenge. With only two minutes of normal time remaining, Doncic exploited substitute Bezzina’s inexperience and robbed him of the ball inside the area to score a late winner against an ever improving Valletta side

Valletta may justly feel aggrieved by this defeat. Until Doncic scored, they had traded equal, if not more, punches with their opponents. It was Valletta whose attacking intentions were the clearer, after taking a first half penalty lead, despite conceding Sliema’s equaliser early in the second half.

The Wanderers again lacked creativity of genuine quality and were made to absorb some undue pressure for quite some time.

Both sides made only one change from their previous outings. Noel Turner started the match for Sliema instead of the suspended Chetcuti while Gilbert Agius returned for Valletta after suspension.

The game had a rather quiet start with both teams tactically well organized and composed. After a Bondin effort went wide, Valletta’s keeper Sullivan missed the ball on Muscat’s cross from the right but Woods failed to connect.

On the quarter hour, Zammit, in full flight inside the Sliema area, was tripped by Dilello to earn Valletta a penalty. Keeper Akanji blocked Monesterolo’s spot-kick but Jonathan Bondin was quickest to react, shooting in the rebound past the grounded Sliema keeper.

The Wanderers immediate response fell to Doncic, whose sailing shot on Muscat’s cross went over.

On 20 minutes, Giglio had to be substituted because of a thigh injury and three minutes later even Valletta’s Dean limped off the field, making way for Fenech. In between, a Monesterolo shot took a wicked deflection and the ball ended tantalisingly over.

Sliema struggled to create any menace to a watertight Valletta rearguard and it was only towards the end of the half that they threatened with a Woods’ cross which Cassar headed into a corner .And after an Agius meaty free-kick was saved into a corner by Akanji, Sliema went closest to drawing level when Bajada’s long ball forward put Doncic clear. The flag did not go up but the Sliema striker shot feebly on Sullivan’s outstretched body.

Sliema’s equaliser however came within two minutes of the restart, catching the Valletta defence on the hop when Turner headed a ball forward for Ivan Woods to head past a helpless Sullivan.

Valletta did not lose heart though and were soon asserting their grip on the game. Nisevic’s shot on Bondin’s cross was blocked by the Sliema defence.

Monesterolo became an influential figure for Valletta after a sluggish start. Towards the hour he drilled his free-kick against the upright and later forced Akanji to palm out his shot on the turn into a corner.

Sliema’s expertise at the back resisted Valletta’s raids in the intensity of a hotly contested second half.

Half chances followed at both ends. Woods’s cross was headed wide by Doncic and an Agius drive was saved by Akanji.

On 88 minutes, Danilo Doncic’s lethal finishing came to the fore as he pounced on Bezzina’s hesitation inside the Valletta area to beat Sullivan with a well placed strike and hand the Wanderers a valuable win at this stage