Sliema W.-Mosta 1-1
Sliema W: H. Bonello, A. Muscat, J. Mintoff, M. Scerri, S. Ohawuchi, C. Gatt Baldacchino, I. Woods (A. Bello Osagie), T. Cilia (B. Muscat), P. Barbetti (P. Gueye), M. Muchardi, S. Bianciardi
Mosta: O. Borg, K. Farrugia, T. Farrugia, R. Ekani, M. Micallef (N. Cosentini), K. Zammit, C. Fernandes (A. Cini), D. Falzon, L. Duriska, B. Kaljevic (R. Grech), G.M. Piccioni
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Asst.refs: T. Debono, J. Spiteri
4th official: S. Spiteri
Scorers: M. Micallef 4, S. Muchardi 86
Yellow cards: M. Micallef, C. Gatt Baldacchino, B. Kaljevic, L. Duriska, K. Farrugia, M. Scerri
Player of the match: S. Muchardi (Sliema W)
TMI top 3: 1. K. Farrugia 2. T. Farrugia 3.S. Muchardi
Attendance: 511
Mosta have gone three consecutive matches without a win, but yesterday they were only four minutes away from pulling a second victory over Sliema Wanderers this season, before conceding Muchardi’s equaliser.
Mosta, with Enrico Piccioni taking over the duties of head coach from Danilo Doncic for the first time, have now slipped to sixth place in the standings, trailing Naxxar Lions by a point.
Mosta could not have dreamt of a better start, taking an early lead through Mano Micallef but there were regrets for failing to preserve it till the very end.
Following a goalless draw against Tarxien before the festive break, Sliema Wanderers again looked desperately short of belief yesterday but were finally rewarded with a late equaliser as Mosta retreated to protect their lead allowing their opponents more possession in the second half.
From the very early stages, Sliema were finding it hard to break down Mosta’s defence, where Tyrone Farrugia, Kane Farrugia and Rodriguez Ekani excelled in the air with their towering presence. New acquisition Dyson Falzon, on loan from Valletta, was deployed as left back and that gave Manolito Mic allef the opportunity to play in front of the defence.
Micallef was the scorer of Mosta’s early opener, after only four minutes on the clock, that set the pattern to a rather one-sided match.
Micallef picked Mintoff’s clearance, on a Piccioni effort, and beat keeper Bonello with a low drive at the far end of the keeper’s right side.
After the goal, Mosta retreated further and as they crowded their midfield, the Wanderers’ task to break them down grew more laborious.
In fact Sliema looked short of ideas and for all the running and movement of Cilia, Muchardi and Woods up front, they were hardly productive.
Ohawuchi was starved of service and Sliema only went close to levelling matters on two occasions in the first half. On 36 minutes, following a Cilia corner from the left, Alex Muscat’s grounder was deflected against the foot of the post.
With half time looming, Ekani failed to cut Mintoff’s through ball but keeper Borg was alert enough to block on Muchardi, when clear inside the Mosta area.
Sliema replaced Woods with Bello Osagie at the start of the second half and soon after Mosta introduced the more defensive Ryan Grech in midfield to substitute Kaljevic.
That complicated matters further for the Wanderers who kept raking several crosses inside the Mosta area but to little avail. Their attempts to cut the deficit were undermined by failure to hold on to possession for any length of time.
Bello Osagie’s header was too feeble to trouble keeper Borg and Sliema fluffed another chance on 75 minutes as Ohawuchi failed to conclude inside the area on Muchardi’s testing cross.
Mosta were heading towards a win, when still clinging to that early goal, but were denied four minutes from time when Sliema’s threat had been growing.
Off Bello Osagie’s low cross from the right, Stefano Muchardi scored with a clinical finish to salvage a late point that keeps them firmly in fourth place.