Sliema W - Marsaxlokk 1-0

Sliema W: M. Akanji, A. Muscat, I. Azzopardi, B. Said, N. Turner, M. Scerri, A. Da Silva (O. Anonam), R. Bajada, M. Bartolo (C. Ventura), I. Woods (J. Vella), R. Briffa

Marsaxlokk: R. Debono, M. Licari, C. Mamo, R. Conceicao, A. Madzar (J. Alcorse), W. Camenzuli, C. Magro, J. Pace, C. Frendo (S. Wellman)

Referee: C. Pisani asst.refs: P. Agius, M. Debono 4th official: A. Zammit

Scorers: I. Woods

Yellow cards: P. Pullicino, S. Wellman. C. Magro, A. Da Silva, C. Mamo

Red card: P. Pullicino

Player of the match: Matthew Bartolo (Sliema W)

TMI top three: 1. M. Bartolo 2. I. Woods 3. J. Pace

A much revamped Sliema side produced a spirited display to beat Marsaxlokk, reduced to ten men after only 40 minutes, and keep up their revival with two consecutive league wins. Ivan Woods took centre stage with a spectacular acrobatic winning volley shortly before the break.

Meanwhile Marsaxlokk’s title challenge was totally wrecked as they remain five points behind leaders Valletta, with the latter’s tomorrow game in hand. Moreover, Marsaxlokk’s runners-up spot has also been put in jeopardy as more was expected than delivered.

Both teams were buoyed by successes in their previous outings. Marsaxlokk needed to keep up the challenge with leaders Valletta after Birkirkara’s slip, while Sliema were on a mission of resurgence.

Their ambitions were undermined by the absence of some key players. Sliema had Etienne Barbara, their match winner against Birkirkara, missing through suspension but coach Azzopardi, watching the match from the stands, himself serving a touchline ban, did not tamper much with his line-up except for the inclusions of Matthew Bartolo and Roderick Briffa, in the absence of Ian Ciantar as well.

Marsaxlokk had Conceicao back in their rearguard but failed to recover Templeman and Alcorse, the latter only included as a substitute. After 28 minutes, the champions were forced to substitute the unfit Frendo, suffering from some leg injury, with Wellman taking his place.

Marsaxlokk took long to settle in the game and it always dawned that they were facing an uphill struggle against sharper opponents. Twice in the first 40 minutes the champions were saved by the woodwork as Sliema took a more direct approach.

With Bartolo and Woods combining well in attack, Sliema dominated the first half.

Within five minutes, Woods connected on Bartolo’s low cross but his left footer hit the upright, with keeper Debono out of sorts.

The fluidity of their dominating display against Floriana five days before, was conspicuously lacking as Talbot’s team remained in second gear.

Frendo’s retreat before the half hour and Pullicino’s sending off after 40 minutes, for a second bookable offence, did complicate matters for Marsaxlokk. From the resultant Bajada free kick from the edge of the area, the ball hit the underside of the bar and rebounded in play.

But there was no denying Sliema their deserved lead three minutes before halftime. On Bartolo’s teasing cross from the right, Ivan Woods beat Debono with a stupendous scissors kick at the top left hand corner, to break his personal five-match goal drought.

Marsaxlokk tried hard to pull themselves back into the match after the restart but struggled to produce sufficient incisive movement among their attacking players, even because Sliema held more of the possession, exploiting their numerical superiority.

A Sammut free kick was headed by Licari into Madzar’s path but the lanky striker failed to apply a decent finish.

On the other end a Woods shot was palmed out by keeper Debono.

Towards the hour, Marsaxlokk’s equaliser was controversially ruled out. Madzar’s low diagonal shot from the left was partially blocked by keeper Akanji and as Wellman ran from behind the lose ball to tap it in, assistant Agius flagged an offside position which looked hardly the case.

To their merit, Marsaxlokk were not demorilised and on 70 minutes put in Alcorse for Madzar.

Their offensive play left gaps at the back, which Sliema very nearly exploited. On 75 minutes Woods played the ball to Bartolo, who avoided the keeper’s sortie but his diagonal cross shot clipped the bar.

Bartolo’s scintillating wing play in the Sliema attack, always kept Marsaxlokk under pressure. Turner shot wastefully over when presented with a good chance by the volatile Sliema winger before being substituted.

Marsaxlokk’s desperate efforts in added time failed to reap dividends as Wellman headed Sammut’s free kick off target.