SLIEMA WANDERERS- 1
TARXIEN RAINBOWS- 2
Sliema W: G. Zammit, A. Muscat, P. Barbetti, J. Mintoff, L. Ruggiero, C. Gatt Baldacchino, I. Woods (M. Briffa), M. Muchardi (A. Faccini), M. Ciantar, B. Muscat (J. Mifsud), S. Biancardi
Tarxien R: D. Cassar, Evaldo, J. Grioli, R. Bajada, D. Meira (K. Pulo), A. Esposito, R. Sammut, M. Tanti (D. Fenech), D. Bueno, O. Anonam (M. Caruana), S. Bonnici
Referee: A.M. Sant
Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, A. Grech
4th official: C. Pisani
Scorers: O. Anonam 16, C. Gatt Baldacchino 21, M. Tanti 52
Yellow cards: P. Barbetti, Evaldo, A. Esposito, R. Sammut
Player of the match: M. Tanti (Tarxein R)
TMI top 3: 1. D. Bueno 2. A. Esposito 3. P. Barbetti
Tarxien Rainbows were back to winning ways after defeat by Qormi and a draw against Valletta, although their performance was not full bodied but good enough to secure them full points that take them up above the same Sliema Wanderers in fifth place in the BOV Premier League standings.
For long stretches, it was a messy affair but Tarxien, with their economical play and better use of their possession, exploited better the few chances that came their way.
By virtue of this second consecutive defeat and no win in their last three, Sliema now drop to sixth place, one above Balzan and three more than Qormi.
Yesterday they were depleted by the absences of three suspended players, namely goalkeeper Henry Bonello, defender Andrew Decesare and midfielder Mark Scerri. But that is no excuse for their inept play, lacking the invention, pace and penetration to break down Tarxien’s defence.
Tarxien also had Luiz Castro suspended but other Brazilian Danilo Meira was back in their line-up and offered quite a threat to Sliema’s rearguard.
The first 20 minutes were good to watch with a goal at each end. But the promise of some high-tempo fireworkls quickly evaporated, giving way to a tepid , disappointing half. After Sliema cancelled out Tarxien’s lead, play became rather scrappy, with many misplaced passes from both sides.
A Barbetti free kick after only 11 minutes was missed by Branciardi but when Woods made contact with the ball, he was in an offside position and the goal was disallowed.
Tarxien forged ahead past the quarter hour when awarded a corner after Gatt Baldacchino cleared a high ball inside the Sliema area. On Esposito’s delivery from the right, Orosco Anonam’s firm header hit the innerside of the post, the ball rebounding off the standing keeper Zammit, before crossingt the line.
But Tarxien could only hold to their lead for five minutes as Sliema restored equilibrium, also from a set piece, after a Ciantar corner from the right was cleared short by Evaldo in the path of the unmarked Clifford Gatt Baldacchino who beat keeper Cassar with a low powerful drive.
Sliema remained impotent after that. Tarxien, not much better, only showed up with a couple of shots from a distance by Meira, an effort by Bajada which all missed the target and an Anonam grounder which keeper Zammit saved comfortably.
Things did not improve much in the second half, especially for Sliema who found themselves once more in arrears after 52 minutes. Ciantar lost possession to Bueno inside the Tarxien half, allowing the Brazilian to advance, and although chased by Ciantar, he managed to play the ball through to Mark Tanti to score with a low drive.
Tarxien went close again two minutes later. A Bueno finely-judged cross from the right fell to the unmarked Evaldo but Mintoff just blocked his goalbound effort into a corner.
Sliema made a tactical change short of the hour, putting in Josef Mifsud at the back for Beppe Muscat, who had been inocuous in his advanced midfield role. Gatt Baldacchino moved as wide back on the right and Mintoff advanced in midfield.
However, the Wanderers were unable to pose a real threat, and their long balls inside theTarxien area proved ineffective against the aerial dominance ofdefenders Bonnici, Evaldo and Grioli.
On 72 minutes Tarxien fluffed a good chance through Tanti, as he failed to make contact on a Meira cross from the right.
Sliema also put in Marlon Briffa and Faccini for the last quarter hour as they laid siege on Tarxien’s fort. But they were undermined by lack of good planning and a cutting edge in front of goal. On the stroke of full time a Ruggiero effort, on a Tarxien clearance, was held out by keeper Cassar and the bar.
Ruggiero was lucky to escape unpunished by a lenient referee after kicking the grounded Tarxien substitute Karl Pulo.