SLIEMA WANDERERS  1

Mosta: A. Vella, D. Fenech (N. Frendo), Z. Brincat, T. Veronese, D. Mansi, T. Farrugia, K. Frendo (J. Grech), D. Biondo (L. Ferreira), E. Zarate, G. Blessing, D. Nworah

Sliema W: G. Zammit, J. De Assis, M. Muchardi, F. Temile (R. Spiteri), N. Milinceanu (P. Xuereb), S. Biancardi, M. Sansone (M. Scerri), E. Agius, R. Correa, J. Mintoff, G. Adamovic

Referee: G. Tonna

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, T. Zammit

4th official: E.Mangion

Scorers: F. Temile 46, T. Farrugia 90+

Yellow cards: D. Mansi, D. Biondo, R. Correa, M. Sansone, M. Muchardi, T. Veronese, J. De Assis, E. Zarate

Player of the match: R. Correa (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. R. Correa  2. E. Agius  3. T. Farrugia

Attendance:155

Not for the first time this season, Mosta defender and captain Tyron Farrugia proved his side’s saviour, scoring his side’s late equaliser in overtime, against Sliema Wanderers, to earn a point that looked beyond them.

Sliema had been in good form, winning six of their previous seven matches in all competitions.

They did not raise the temperature until the second half, when they took the lead and started to go forward more promptly. They should have put the game beyond their opponents but they lost a bit of an edge in the dying minutes, dropping two precious points in the process.

Mosta showed some resolve after the derby defeat against Naxxar Lions the previous fortnight. Apart from some inadequacies, they were well organised and tactically disciplined and Tyron Farrugia’s unexpected equaliser brought them some reward.

Mosta were without Rodriguez Ekani and Kurt Magro, both suspended, and coach Johann Scicluna again gave a start to Godwin Blessing in attack after making his appearance in the FA Trophy match against Mqabba the previous week.

Sliema coach John Buttigieg opted to start with Edmond Agius and Michele Sansone in midfield, the former playing in front of the defence and the latter further upfield, with Gabriel Aquilina and Peter Xuereb relegated to the bench. Otherwise it was the same familiar line-up.

Although enjoying the majority of possession, Sliema struggled to frighten the Mosta defence, which was never carved open in the first half. They played into Mosta’s hands with slow build-ups and not enough incisive movement from their forwards.

The Wanderers only looked menacing past the quarter hour, when the Mosta keeper missed the ball on a Correa deep cross and Muchardi blazed his shot across the face of goal. On 37 minutes, a Temile shot from a distance was neutralised by the Mosta keeper Andreas Vella.

Sliema almost took the lead on the stroke of halftime. The Mosta keeper looked beaten on a Milinceanu effort from the left, but defender Farrugia cleared off the line.

Aware that they badly needed a spark, the Wanderers looked a little livelier at the start of the second half and it took them less than two minutes to forge ahead. Frank Temile flicked in De Assis’ cross from the right to score his third league goal for Sliema.

With some renewed belief, the Wanderers kept pressing. A Muchardi header, on De Assis cross, was turned into a corner by keeper Vella.

With Sliema looking liberated, there was no sign of menace from their opponents, even if they put in Leonardo Ferreira to give them more punch in attack. Mosta only showed up with an Nworah long range drive.

The inclusion of Mark Scerri, and later Peter Xuereb stiffened Sliema’s midfield.

On 70 minutes Correa whipped a cross from the left. De Assis stooped low but headed the ball fractionally wide.

With ten minutes remaining, De Assis galloped from inside his own half down the left, but with Spiteri unmarked, he opted to go for goal himslef only to miss the target with the keeper coming off his line.

Apart from these missed chances, Sliema remained broadly in control, not necessarily fromtheir own brilliance.

Yet their lead looked flimsy nand they were libving dangerously in the late minutes.

Substitute Neil Frendo tested keeper Zammit with a low drive and deep into three minutes of added time, defender Tyron Farrugia scored Mosta’s leveller with an overhead kick from close range after Nworah had played the ball in his path.