This was a game that almost refused to spark into life and it was only in the late stages that the teams, both in crisis of form, scored a goal each to finish the match in a drab draw. A point apiece ensured Qormi start the second phase one above bottom side Tarxien Rainbows. For Sliema it was meaningless as they remain eight points adrift of leaders Hibernians when the points are halved.

Qormi reaped really poor dividends after playing for most of the match in numerical superiority. Sliema had their goalkeeper Bonello sent off in the opening minutes as Qormi also had their central defender Dos Santos expelled ten minutes from time in the action that brought about Sliema’s equaliser from a penalty.

Qormi were expected to improve upon their abject performance and heavy defeat against Hamrun Spartans in the previous match. Their cause was undermined by the absences of the suspended Massimo Grima and Anatole Debono as well as the injured Adrian Ciantar and Josivan Da Silva.

Chuks Nwoko and Wellman played in attack with Paul Camilleri as the holding midfielder in front of their defence.

The only talking point of a barren first half was the dismissal of keeper Henry Bonello after hardly four minutes. The Sliema custodian fouled Wellman just outside the box and the referee was quick to show him red, deeming that he had stopped a scoring opportunity.

Sliema put in Agius in goal for Matthew Bartolo and Qormi almost immediately exploited their numerical superiority with a Farrugia resultant free kick which went narrowly off target.

Qormi however failed to cause much embarrassment to the Sliema defence and with the Wanderers relying mostly on Muscat’s runs down the right flank, their cutting edge blunted by the absence of the still injured Ivan Woods, both keepers remained mostly untroubled in a goalless first half.

Luckily things slightly improved after the restart as Sliema reverted to a more direct approach upon resumption. On 54 minutes, keeper Gauci rushed off his line to block Coto and as the loose ball fell to Turner, he lobbed the ball against the bar from the edge of the area.

Towards the hour, Sliema lost Mark Scerri, forced to be substituted after his injury, but the Wanderers threatened again with a Ciantar cross-shot, blocked by the grounded keeper Agius. A Turner shot on a Muscat cross was blocked into a corner by Tellus and then again keeper Gauci turned another Turner shot into a corner.

As Sliema looked like taking the upper hand, Qormi scored at the other end. On 78 minutes Joseph Chetcuti chased a long ball forward by Ciantar and beat keeper Agius with a delicate chip at the top right hand corner.

But Sliema’s response brought them a deserved equaliser nine minutes from time. Dos Santos fouled Coto inside the area, and it being his second caution, the Qormi central defender was dismissed. Lucien Dronca tucked away the penalty with a cool low drive.

Sliema went close again with a Muscat effort blocked by Gauci in the late stages but in the final analysis a draw was a fair result as neither side deserved to win.