Sliema W.-St.George’s 1-0

The unbearable heat and deserted seats, were hardly a welcoming return for St George’s to Premier League football at Ta’ Qali yesterday. A defeat, albeit with the narrowest of margins, added to their upset.

Yet last season’s First Division champions gave a creditable performance, at least until they conceded Ivan Woods’ goal soon after the restart. That goal separated the two sides, with totally different ambitions, in the first match of the 2006/2007 season.

To some extent, coach Aquilina tinkered with his new-look Sliema side, dropping some regulars, the likes of Said, Bajada and Turner, to the bench. That did not work out in the first half and only after the familiar Turner and Bajada went in as second half substitutes, did the Wanderers find some rhythm, taking the upper hand against stubborn opponents.

Two new faces, striker Chucks Nwoko and midfielder Znedek Svoboda, were included in the starting line-up. Clifton Ciantar and Mark Galea sat on the bench. Of the two newcomers on show, Svoboda left the better impression with his high work rate, clever distribution and accurate passes which unfortunately were not always exploited by his team mates.

St George’s produced a cautious plan but were never afraid to move forward, capitalising on the agility of their front runners, ‘Bizu’ Do Nascimento and Sulaiman.

The first half hour did not produce a single scoring opportunity, as the two sides cancelled out each other in a dreary encounter.

But when Sciberras combined well with Sulaiman, who played the ball forward towards the advancing Do Nascimento, keeper Akanji rushed out of his line to block. Then Giglio, the first player to be booked 15 minutes into the new season, headed Woods’ cross narrowly off target.

The only talking point of an opening half, singularly lacking quality was the 40th minute St George’s attack, when Sciberras’ through ball beat the Sliema offside trap and Do Nascimento ran unmarked towards goal, only to be put off balance by Akanji’s challenge on the edge of the area as he was about to shoot in an unattended goal. Surprisingly, the lenient referee Sant did not interrupt play despite some mild protests from the Saints.

Minutes later, St George’s nearly paid the penalty. Nwoko’s goalbound effort on Carabott’s corner kick rebounded off the post.

The Wanderers stepped up a gear after the break, as Giglio made way for Turner in midfield. Barely five minutes into the second half, Ivan Woods broke the deadlock, heading in Svoboda’s accurate corner kick, to score the first goal of the new season.

That goal drained much of the Saints’ earlier brittle and galvanised Sliema, who began to find the pace and movement in a more eventful second part. Keeper Paris was caught off his line on a swift Sliema attack. Woods’ low cross towards the middle was cleared by Conceicao into a corner before Turner could connect.

On the hour Sulaiman created an opening inside the Sliema area but shot wide from a narrow angle.

On the other end, Nwoko regaled Woods a golden opportunity in front of goal, but the Sliema striker squandered it by hoisting his effort over the cross bar.

A Mattocks’ grounder was blocked by Paris and when the St George’s keeper failed to hold Woods’ effort, Carabott lofted the loose ball.

St George’s last chance fell five minutes from time as a ‘Bizu’ firm header on Schembri’s cross was well saved by Akanji, preserving his side’s win in the season’s opener.

Sliema W: M. Akanji, A Muscat (R. Bajada), M. Dilello, C. Mattocks, D. Carabott, J. Chetcuti, I. Woods (J. Mintoff), I. Ciantar, C. Nwoko, Z. Svoboda, S. Giglio (N. Turner)

St.George’s: B. Paris, C. Brincat, R. Conceicao, E. Sevasta, A. Bonello (E. Degabriele), H. Schembri (L. Mizzi), J. Spiteri, S. Sciberras, L. Grima, E. Do Nascimento, H. Sulaiman (S. Borda)

Referee: A. M. Sant Asst refs: A. Camilleri, N. Debattista 4th official: S. Tanti

Scorer: I. Woods

Yellow cards: S. Giglio, C. Brincat, N. Turner, S. Sciberras, R. Conceicao

Player of the match: Znedek Svoboda (Sliema W)

TMI top three: 1. Z. Svoboda 2. E. Do Nascimento 3. J. Chetcuti