Sliema W 4

Mosta 1

Mosta had a very uphill task as they were reduced to 10 men after only 22 minutes, but they did not throw in the towel as they created chances throughout the game.

Sliema are on six points from three games while Mosta are on three. 

The first action was created by Sliema as Jake Agius served Axl Xuereb with a short free kick pass on the right flank and he drove over the bar from outside the area.

At the other end, Jake Agius handled the ball outside the area and Sliema keeper Luke Chircop saved in two attempts the free kick by Gordon Saliba. 

In another action by Sliema, after a well-taken flag kick by Iousef Meli, a header by Liam Cachia was cleared on the goal line. 

Mosta then mounted two other actions. Kyle Vella released James Brincat on the left flank and Chircop saved his cross-shot while Daniel Mifsud drove out from inside the area after a well-taken flag kick by Gordon Saliba. 

In a Sliema counter-attack Chris Mercieca served Xuereb with a through ball who after entering the area missed the upright from his lobbed ball. 

In the 22nd minute Sliema opened the score. Xuereb released Mercieca in the area and as Saliba did the goal-keeping act on the goal line, which resulted in his being shown the red card, Xuereb made no mistake from the resultant penalty. 

Sliema resumed with their pressing. Meli drove over the bar from outside the area after beating a defender.

Liam Cachia then served Mercieca in the area but he lobbed the ball over the bar and Mike Vella served Xuereb with a through ball who square-passed to Cachia who drove over the bar from outside the area. 

The last action before the break was created by Mosta when Matteo De Vita floated a high ball in the area from a free kick and Sliema keeper Jovin Ebejer saved a header by Mifsud.

Five minutes after restart Sliema doubled their lead with a choral move between three players. Xuereb released Cachia on the right flank who then crossed to Michael Galea in the area

who scored with a hard low drive.

Hardly a minute later the score became 3-0 when Xuereb was fouled well outside the area and Cachia scored with a rising shot in the top left hand corner of the net from 45 metres. 

Another two actions were then created by Sliema. Galea was fouled outside the area and from the free kick by the same player the ball hit the defensive barrier and was cleared away.

Mosta reduced the gap in the 57th minute when substitute Sheldon Vassallo was fouled on the left flank and after James Brincat floated a high ball in the area from the free kick, Vassallo scored with a back-header. 

In the 62nd minute Sliema scored their fourth goal when James Brincat handled the ball on the left flank and Jake Agius scored direct from the resultant free kick. 

In the last action by Sliema, Xuereb released substitute Mark A Scicluna on the left flank and a defender cleared the ball to a corner from his shot. 

Referee: Jules Ngangue

Player of the match: Axl Xuereb (Sliema W)