Valletta-Sliema W 1-0
Valletta: S. Darmanin, J. Bondin, M. Grima, B. Nisevic, S. Bezzina, D. Camilleri, U. Edafe, K. Fenech (J. Grioli), G. Agius (D. Zarb), I. Zammit, S. Monesterolo (M. Barbara)
Sliema W: M. Akanji, I. Ciantar, M. Dilello, B. Said, R. Bajada, J. Chetcuti (O. Anonam), I. Woods, A. Muscat, C. Nwoko, Z. Svoboda (N. Turner), S. Pace (C. Mattocks)
Referee: C. lautier, Ass. Referees: J. camilleri, Ms. E. Farrugia, 4th Official: A. Zammit
Scorer: S. Monesterolo
Yellow cards: M. Dilello, I. Ciantar
Player of the match: Ian Zammit (Valletta)
TMI best three: 1. I. Zammit, 2. G. Agius, 3. M. Akanji
This was a scrappy match, devoid of real goal scoring opportunities which promised much but failed to deliver.
The classic match that this fixture so frequently produces, obstinately refused to emerge yesterday.
Valletta won for their perseverance and will, credentials very much lacking in the Sliema team yesterday. Many of the Sliema players performed below their standards and they utterly failed to recover from Valletta’s early lead through their best marksman, Sebastian Monesterolo. Netting his 11th league goal, the Argentine won the duel between the sides’ best strikers. For the first time this season, Ivan Woods failed to score, and Sliema paid the price, as they looked disturbingly short of penetration. The Wanderers found it desperately hard to make real progress after having beaten Pieta Hotspurs 4-1 in the previous outing.
Valletta, for their part, had gone down heavily 3-1 to Hibernains.
The first quarter hour was good to watch. Valletta’s more assertive start saw them take the lead after only seven minutes play as Sebastian Monesterolo chased Camilleri’s through ball, beat the onrushing keeper Akanji and deposited the ball into an unattended goal.
Earlier, Zammit’s blistering shot was deflected by Pace into a corner.
On the quarter hour, Sliema were close to drawing level when Woods’ low drive, after hooking Svoboda’s diagonal pass, rebounded off the foot of the post.
On the other end, Zammit progressed dangerously from the right flank towards the middle, but his shot was blocked by Akanji.
Play degenerated after that but Sliema tried to regroup, especially after Mattock’s inclusion as Pace’s substitute midway through the half, and they looked more menacing, raking long crosses inside the Valletta area, which the City defence was at pains to keep out. Keeper Darmanin however remained mostly untested except for a couple of good sorties, well within his capabilities.
Sliema effected a second substitution at the start of the second half, Turner going in for Svoboda but play hardly improved, littered with many stray passes from both sides.
Valletta remained more purposeful and always penetrative on the break. On 71 minutes Agius exploited the gaps in Sliema’s rearguard as he played the ball square to the unmarked Edafe who put substitute Grioli through, but Akanji blocked the final shot. Two minutes later, Agius was bundled when inside the Sliema area but Valletta’s claims for a penalty were turned down.
Sliema tried to up the tempo, but to no avail as they lacked the required conviction and Valletta’s defence remained generally composed and resolute.
In fact Valletta ended up the more incisive in the late stages as Monesterolo’s tricky chip forced Akanji to tip the ball over with a reflex save. And on the stroke of time, Akanji dived to his left to hold out Grima’s weighted free-kick from the edge of the area.