Qormi 2 Sliema W. 1

Qormi: M. Farrugia, K. Thackray, R, Sammut, M. Bartolo, V. Pisani, J. Chetcuti, A. Bello-Osagie, E. Bilboa Zarate (L. Sciberras), G. Spiteri (L. Grech), J. Bondin, A. Cassar (M. Gauci)

Sliema W: H. Bonello, J. Mintoff, J. Mifsud, S. Biancardi, A. Muscat, P. Barbetti, M. Scerri (B. Muscat), M. Muchardi (D. Ortega), M. Ciantar, A. Faccini (O. El Ghaouti), I. Woods

Referee: F. Zammit

Asst.refs: M. Scerri, E.Grech

4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: M, Ciantar 6, V. Pisani 29, A. Bello-Osagie 64

Yellow cards: M. Scerri, A. Faccini, M. Ciantar, K. Thackray, E. Zarate, J. Bondin, B. Muscat, P. Barbetti, J. Mifsud, L. Grech

Player of the match: A. Bello-Osagie (Qormi)

TMI top 3: 1. M. Farrugia 2. A. Bello-Osagie 3. M. Ciantar

SILVIO VELLA

Struggling Sliema Wanderers succumbed to a second consecutive league defeat, beaten by Qormi yesterday to remain a distant eight points off leaders Birkirkara. This is surely not the start they would have wanted.

The Wanderers had played with some vibrancy and looked good enough to win this match, especially after taking an early lead and their dominance in the first half, only to be denied by some goalkeeping heroics of Matthew Farrugia. But Sliema were undone by two defensive blunders, one in each half, from keeper Henry Bonello that will fill their coach with tense frustration. Bonello must take some responsibility for his bad positioning and lack of communication in both instances.

Qormi made the best of their few chances and won the match through sheer perseverance and great industry, staying composed at the back and hitting out on the break.

Sliema named no less than seven foreigners in their squad among whom another Italian centre back, Stefano Biancardi, who was making his debut this season. Ivan Woods and John Mintoff were also given starts as Gatt Baldacchino, El Ghouti and Andrew Decesare were exiled to the bench. Alex Muscat and Mintoff were Sliema’s wide backs yesterday as coach Alfonso Greco keeps tinkering with the defence.

Qormi also had another foreigner, Cilean Edison Bilboa Zarate, making his first appearance for the club this season. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he showed some neat touches on the ball and combined well with Kris Thackray, yesterday deployed in a more advanced role in front of the defence.

These were some tactical changes that coach Stephen Azzopardi deemed fit to make after their defeat against Valletta. Gaetan Spiteri replaced Sebastian Sirito in their starting line-up, Jonathan Bondin moved at centre back alongside Roderick Sammut, with Matthew Bartolo wide on the left and Alessio Cassar on the right.

After a cagey first half, the teams were still tied at 1-1, although Sliema were slightly the better team in terms of chances and ideas.

They took the lead after six minutes. Operating on the left flank, Miguel Ciantar picked a Qormi clearance from the edge of the area and placed an exquisite shot beyond keeper Farrugia.

Ciantar again tested the Qormi keeper on the quarter hour from a short Muscat throw in.

Despite often giving away possessioin too cheaply, Qormi levelled matters shortly before the half hour after a prolonged action. Bello-Osagie’s powerful rising shot forced keeper Bonello to produce a smart save, stretching himself to turn into a corner. From the resultant Zarate corner, the Sliema keeper missed the flight of ther ball and as he was caught off his line, Vincenzo Pisani scored with a half volley, lobbing the ball over Brancardi, who tried to clear.

Keeper Farrugia turned protagonist in the half’s late stages, to keep Qormi into the match. On 37 mi nutes he rushed off his line to deflect the ball off Ciantar’s feet and then blocked Muchardi’s effort on the loose ball. Farrugia suffered a hand injury and had to receive treatment. Immediately after restarting play he repelled Muscat’s firm header on a Barbetti corner. On the stroke of halftime, Faccini failed to connect on a Muscat testinmg cross and Sliema’s chance went to waste.

Play remained mostly chaotic in the second half, with a couple of noteworthy episodes that gave the match a twist in Qormi’s favour. On the hour, Sliema were forced to substitute their midfielder Mark Scerri, injured in a tackle.

Sliema complicated matters further four minutes later when Bello-Osagie capitalised on some hesitancy between Josef Mifsud and Bonello, and one-on-one with the stranded keeper, the Qormi forward won possession to deposit the ball into an unattended net.

Sliema were jolted and on 76 minutes Qormi went close to scoring their third. Pisani raced through the middle, beat Muchardi and the onrushing Bonello but his low drive was held out by the uporight.

With Sliema’s defence in tatters, Pisani swivelled and turned past Biancardi and Mifsud but keeper Bonello blocked his final shot.

Argentinian Diego Ortega made his debut for Sliema for the last five minutes, in a frantic effort to salvage something. They nearly did that deep into four minutes of added time from a Barbetti free kick that caused panic in the crowded Qormi area and Bonello, who had gone up in attack, shot the ball from close range but his goalbound effort was somehow cleared off the line. Arguably it was not his day!