This top-of-the-table clash attracted a large crowd at Luxol ground.

The Wanderers consolidated top spot having 37 points from 14 games and opened an unassailable seven-point gap than their closest followers Pieta. They held the upper hand from start to finish by creating much more occasions than Pieta who had five regulars missing through injury and suspension, and this was Pieta’s second defeat after having lost against Birkirkara in the first round.

The Hotspurs created the first action as Cleaven Cassar was put through on the left flank who crossed to Nathan Busuttil but Sliema keeper Michael Incorvaja saved his close range header. From then on the Blues took the initiative creating occasion after another.

A freekick shot by Mark Scerri was headed away by a defender. Ray Attard served Miguel Ciantar with a through ball and the latter’s shot from outside the area was deflected to a corner. Simeon Yordanov served Valerio Mottola in the area but Pieta keeper Kersten Vella foiled him with a timely sortie.

On 11 minutes Sliema opened the score. Incorvaja served Mottola from a freekick after an offside infringement; the latter served Ciantar in the area who netted with a low shot after dribbling past a defender.

Sliema kept pressing after this early lead. A Mark Scerri freekick was partially cleared and Kane Farrugia shot the rebound over the bar. After Andre’ Gove’ was put through on the right edge of the area he opted to shoot and drove out instead of crossing in the area where there were Mottola and Ciantar both unmarked and in a good position to apply the killer touch.

In a Pieta rare attack, Nathan Busuttil served Ivantsankov Alexandrov in the area and Incorvaja was forced to come out of his charge and dive at his feet to foil him from concluding.

Ciantar served Mottola with a through ball on the left flank and from the latter’s cross the ball was cleared to a corner. On 36 minutes they doubled the score when Gove' served Miguel Ciantar in the area who, after selling the dummy to two defenders, drove past Vella with a grounder and just before the half-time whistle Mark Scerri served Mottola in the area and Vella had to come out of his charge and kicked the ball away to safety.

Sliema created the first action after the restart. Ciantar, who was a constant headache to Pieta’s rearguard, set Mottola through on the left flank who crossed to Gove’ with the latter failing to apply the killer touch from an ideal position, at the other end, a freekick by Aleksandrov was deflected to a corner.

The Blues kept trying to increase their lead, Mottola served Ciantar on the left flank and from his cross Scerri missed Pieta’s upright by inches, Ray Attard served Gove’ with a through ball, Vella partially saved his cross-shot from the right and a defender cleared the ball to safety.

In a rare Pieta’ attack, Christopher Mackay won a loose ball on the right edge of the area and his cross from the right was partially saved by Incorvaja with the ball being somehow cleared.

Simeon Yordanov was then shown the yellow card for a late tackle on Pieta’ substitute Silvio Consoli. On 63 minutes Sliema scored their third goal. Mark Scerri floated a perfect ball in the area from a freekick and Yordanov headed in past Vella with the Pieta’ defenders doing the standstill act.

Pieta’ pulled one back five minutes later when Randell Refalo served Nathan Busuttil in the area and was pushed by a defender and Aleksandrov netted from the spot.

Hardly two minutes later Sliema re-established their three-goal lead, Scerri won a loose ball in Pieta’s half. After beating a defender he forced Vella to dive and save his shot to a corner and from the flagkick by Attard, Stephen Azzopardi, who has just come in as a substitute, headed past Vella to make it 4-1 with the Pieta defenders remaining standstill. Five minutes before the end, Randell Refalo was shown the yellow card for a late tackle on Ciantar and two minutes later Sliema’s Karl Saliba became the fourth and last offender to be entered in the referee's black book for showing dissent to his decision.

Referee: Paul Apap

Player of the match: Miguel Ciantar (Sliema W)

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APS Bank U/16 Section C

Zebbug R 7

Ghaxaq 0

Following this result Zebbug now lead the table with 32 points from 14 games after a very easy win against bottom placed Ghaxaq who are still pointless from 13 games.

Zebbug took an early two-minute lead as Jonathan Bugeja pounced on a faulty clearance on the edge of the area and netted with a first-timer past a helpless Ghaxaq keeper Christian Farrugia.

Encouraged by this early lead, Zebbug kept pressing their opponents. Steve Garrett crossed from the left to Matthew Borg who drove over the bar. Kevin Tanti served Carlos Zammit in the area but he missed the upright with his shot.

On seven minutes the score became 2-0, Omar Rababan served Elton Calleja with a cross pass from the left and was pushed as he entered the area: Matthew Borg converted the resultant penalty.

Six minutes later Rababan made it 3-0 from inside the area after he was put through by Carlos Zammit and hardly two minutes later Zammit scored a fourth goal after receiving a perfect cross by Garrett after a solo run down the right flank.

Garrett managed to put his name on the scorers’ list after a cross from the left by Zammit in the 16th minute. Zammit then missed a good opportunity as he drove over the bar from a very ideal position after a Tanti perfect through ball.

The sixth goal was scored on 25 minutes by Tanti after he dribbled his way past three defenders and netted after entering the area and two minutes later Rababan scored a seventh goal after he was put through in the area Garrett. In the 28th minute the referee signalled the end of the first half.

Few were the actions worthy of note in the second half. A flagkick by Matthew Borg was headed away by an Ghaxaq defender and Farrugia saved a header by Calleja after a long throw-in by Garrett.

After Zammit was put through in the area by Tanti, the latter’s shot was cleared to a corner. In an Ghaxaq rare attack, Nathan Abela won a loose ball in Zebbug’s half and Zebbug keeper Brandon Bartolo, who had a very easy Sunday morning, partially saved his shot and a defender cleared the ball to safety.

On 61 minutes Ghaxaq were awarded a penalty as Noel Bilocca was tripped in the area after he was put through by Abela, but Bartolo saved the penalty kick which was taken by Bilocca. Three minutes later the referee signalled the end of the game.

Referee: Aaron Fenech

Player of the match: Steve Garrett (Zebbug R)