Sliema W.-Valletta 0-2
Sliema W: G. Zammit, A. Muscat, J. Borg, J. Mintoff (A. Podda), C. Gatt Baldacchino, I. Woods, T. Cilia (A. Xuereb), P. Barbetti, M. Muchardi, S. Bianciardi, A. Vladavic
Valletta: N. Revishvili, J. Caruana, S. Borg, R. Briffa, L. Montebello (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), H. Barry, A. Da Silva Souza (L. Alliyu), S. Bajada, I. Maisuradze, A. Nafti, L. Dimech
Referee: M. Spiteri
Asst.refs: C. Francalanza, P. Abela
Additional asst.refs: P. Caruana, A. Azzopardi
4th official: F. Zammit
Scorers: L. Montebello 40, L. Alliyu 90+
Yellow cards: P. Barbetti, A. Muscat
Red card: A. Vladavic
Player of the match: H. Barry (Valletta)
TMI top three: 1. H. Barry 2. A. Souza 3. J. Borg
Attendance: 1,251
With leaders Birkirkara winning on Saturday, the spotlight again turned on Valletta who could not afford to drop any points against Sliema Wanderers in order to maintain their title challenge.
The Citizens’ performance yesterday was far from full bodied but good enough to enable them beat inferior opponents with a goal towards the end of each half. The merits of their win were not in dispute and their title persuit could not be derailed.
In the opening 45 minutes, Andre Paus’ men had struggled for any real fluency in attacking positions but showed personality to win three points after making the breakthrough shortly before halftime. Hamza Barry was a prominent figure in his side’s win as he combined with Alan Da Silva Souza to telling effect.
Valletta made a rift of changes after their lacklustre goalless draw against Birkirkara. Luke Dimech was drafted back in defence after a long absence as Steve Borg moved as right back instead of Reyes Sanchez. Ryan Fenech and Lateef Alliyu were relegated to the bench, with Hamza Barry and Luke Montebello given starts instead. Edmond Agius was suspended and replaced by Abdelkarim Nafti.
Sliema also had selection problems of their own, mainly the absences of the suspended forward Stanley Ohawuchi and the injured midfielder Mark Scerri. Admir Vladavic made his return after suspension while Trevor Cilia was given the nod. Glen Zammit was preferred to Henry Bonello in goal as Ivan Woods spearheaded the Wanderers’ attack, which however lacked a cutting edge.
The Wanderers were unable to match up superior opponents and it was only in sporadic moments that they threatened Valletta’s goal. This defeat drops them in fifth place in the Championship Pool, one point less than Mosta above them.
For all their myriad of talent in their squad, Valletta struggled to breach the opposing defence. They enjoyed the better share of possession but failed to create any gilt-edged chances in a boring first half as bleak as the weather at Ta’ Qali.
Valletta were a disjointed lot, utterly devoid of ideas, as they tried to use the width of the pitch to open up the Wanderers’ compact defence, raking several crosses from the flanks. After surviving an early scare, with Muscat’s headed effort saved by keeper Revishvili, Valletta were all over their opponents for most of the first half.
On 18 minutes Sliema were caught exposed at the back as Souza played a good ball in open space for Barry, who however miscued his shot completely.
Past the half hour Steve Borg headed Nafti’s corner from the right narrowly wide. And on Nafti’s cross from the right, Montebello hit his first timer wide.
Valletta were becoming too profligate but changed the complexion of the game five minutes before the interval as they finally broke the deadlock. Briffa played the ball forward for Souza to go past Gatt Baldacchino on the left, cross low for Luke Montebello to stab it in from close range.
Valletta were expected to keep up their attacking intent in the second half. But Sliema, who put in Axl Xuereb for Cilia, almost hit them on 50 minutes. Woods made progress and unleashed a shot that thumped against the bar and Xuereb shot the rebound in Revishvili’s safe hands.
On the hour Bajada whacked an inswinging free kick which was palmed out by keeper Zammit, the ball fell to Barry whose effort was blcoked into a corner.
Five minutes later, Barry and Souza combined well, with the lattergoing inside the Sliema area on the right but his cross was blocked into a corner.
The irripressible Barry passed the ball to Souza. Keeper Zammit repelled his shot but Barry skied the loose ball.
Sliema could only threaten again on 74 minutes when a JacobBorg cross fell between Woods and Dimech, causing a goalmouth scramble inside the Valletta area. The ball rolled in the path of Muchardi whose shot was footed out by keeper Revishvili.
To rub salt into their wounds, the Wanderers had midfielder Vladavic sent off, four minutes from the end, after he hit Maisuraadze in the face as he went past him.
Valletta ended up toying with their opponents and, deep into three minutes of added time, they doubled their lead. Nafti had his first cross from the right blocked by Jacob Borg, but managed to pass the loose ball to the unmarked Lateef Alliyu for the Valletta substitute to knock it over the line.