Superior Wanderers edge past battling Citizens

Valletta 1
Sliema Wanderers 2

Sliema Wanderers and Valletta were both eager to draw a line under their early-season struggles with a top-notch performance and a three-point harvest from their first showdown of the 2007-08 season.

In the light of their heavy involvement in the transfer market and their high aspirations, these two teams were under intense pressure to deliver the goods and restore a semblance of serenity.

Come 9.30 p.m. last night, it was the blue-shirted Sliema players who traipsed out of the stadium with a wide grin on their faces after edging the Citizens 2-1.

After a goalless first half in which Sliema had been the better team, the superior individual class of the Blues forward personnel and an excellent defensive display from Brian Said and Sharlon Pace swayed the balance in favour of Sliema who thus eradicated the bitter memories of their 3-2 upset to Mqabba last weekend.

Valletta cannot be faulted for effort but they were devoid of flair and cutting edge, hampered as they were by the absence of captain Gilbert Agius and Stefan Giglio and Claude Mattocks, two former Sliema midfielders.

By virtue of their victory yesterday, Sliema joined Floriana at the top of the standings on 13 points, although the Greens have a game in hand.

Valletta coach Paul Zammit thrust newcomer Frank Temile straight into the thick of things, barely three days after the Citizens received FIFA's go-ahead to register the 17-year-old Nigerian youngster.

Defenders Massimo Grima and Kenneth Scicluna were left out of the first XI as Zammit picked U-21 international Steve Bezzina to flank Josef Mifsud in the centre of defence. Agius and Giglio were ruled out by injuries while suspension dashed Mattocks's hopes of facing his former team.

The absence through injury of striker Ivan Woods smoothed the way for Serbian midfielder Nesko Milovanovic to earn a recall to the first team. Milovanovic was assigned an advanced role, playing off the shoulder of Etienne Barbara who was Sliema's point-of-reference in attack. Defenders Jeffrey Chetcuti and Ian Ciantar were sidelined with injuries.

Seven minutes into the game, a long clearance from the back caught the Sliema defence on the backfoot as Argentine Sebastian Monesterolo sped dangerously towards goal but Said showed all his experience by dispossessing the nippy striker with a perfectly-timed tackle.

From the ensuing corner, taken by Camilleri, Monesterolo's scrambled shot was headed away by Pace.

Valletta forced a series of corners in the early stages but they seldom troubled Sliema rearguard beyond routine work.

As the first half approached the halfway point, Sliema, who reverted to a more compact 4-4-2 formation in the wake of their shock defeat to Mqabba last weekend, produced a brief spell of pressure. This forced Valletta to give away several corners but the Blues failed to make any profit from their set-piece attempts.

Said's calibrated pass from the back initiated a promising move for Sliema as Milovanovic bombed forward before laying the ball to Roderick Briffa. The Malta midfielder pulled the trigger but to Sliema's dismay, his strike came off Sliema team-mate Aleksandar Madzar.

At the other end, Dyson Falzon swung over a teasing cross from the left but Ian Zammit's far-post attempt finished wide.

On the half hour, Darmanin was called to make his first noteworthy save of the evening, repelling a low, deflected effort from Matthew Bartolo, after Madzar had threaded an excellent through-pass towards the Malta U-21 winger.

Sliema were now the brighter side going forward. Moments after Madzar hit an angled shot just wide of the near post, Sliema created their best scoring chance.

Brisk movement by Barbara down the left caused consternation in the City defence as the stocky forward squared the ball towards the edge of the box and in the direction of Milovanovic. The latter swivelled before passing to Bajada who guided the ball just wide of the near post.

Bajada was again fractionally wide after receiving a cut-back from Bartolo and, minutes earlier, Valletta had a David Camilleri free-kick pushed out by Akanji.

The match continued to be played at a high tempo with Sliema increasingly dangerous on the break. A ferocious shot by Barbara flashed over the bar but in their next attacking foray, Valletta came close to breaking the stalemate but Monesterolo's low strike was fisted away by Akanji.

Having been at the heart of Valletta's best moves in the first half, the talented Temile set off on a jinking run soon after the restart and let fly a rising shot which was deflected onto the crossbar.

Monesterolo should have done better than shooting tamely at the sprawling Akanji after Sliema had failed to deal with a Camilleri corner.

The Citizens may have shaded the opening exchanges of the second half but they found themselves 1-0 down after nine minutes.

Bajada delivered an outswinging cross from a corner and Said stooped to head towards his goal, the ball squirming through Darmanin's feet as it bounced beyond the goalline.

Valletta had the opportunity to get back on level terms but the unmarked Falzon guided Zammit's right-wing cross over the bar.

Showing no signs of rustiness despite his lack of competitive football, the supremely-gifted Temile continued to be Valletta's chief source of inspiration.

As for Sliema, they posed a threat to Valletta every time they stormed forward thanks largely to the guile of Briffa and Milovanovic and the pace of Barbara and Bartolo.

Another enterprising figure in Sliema's midfield yesterday was Bajada who had a central drive blocked by Darmanin.

The second half was 18 minutes old when the City goalkeeper kept his team's heads above water when parrying Barbara's shot from just inside the box after Madzar had flicked on Bartolo's cross from the right.

After a Backhaus piledriver ended just over, Paul Zammit effected his first substitution 11 minutes from time, bringing on Kurt Magro for the subdued Zammit.

With eight minutes remaining, Sliema all but sealed their win when the enterprising Barbara, lurking in the inside-right channel, charged to the byline and shrugged off Forace, illegally in Valletta's eyes, before sending a low cross to Madzar who flicked the ball past Darmanin.

Just before referee Adrian Azzopardi signalled the end of the match, Valletta scored a consolation goal through Monesterolo who burst into the Sliema box and prodded the ball past Akanji.

Valletta: S. Darmanin-5, J. Bondin-5, J. Mifsud-6, S. Bezzina-6.5, R. Forace-5.5, D. Camilleri-6.5, F. Temile-7, D. Falzon-6 ('86 J. Grioli), S. Monesterolo-6, H. Backhaus-6, I. Zammit-5.5 ('79 K. Magro).

Sliema: M. Akanji-6.5, A. Muscat-5.5, I. Azzopardi-6, B. Said-7, N. Milovanovic-6 ('83 O. Anonam), R. Bajada-7.5, M. Bartolo-7, A. Madzar-6.5 ('90 N. Turner), R. Briffa-6, S. Pace-7, E. Barbara-6.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Scorers: Said 54; Madzar 82; Monesterolo 90.

Yellow cards: Forace; Bartolo; Falzon; Muscat; Monesterolo.

BoV Player of the match: Roderick Bajada (Sliema Wanderers).

Fixtures

Today
6 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Mqabba
8 p.m. Hamrun vs Birkirkara.

Tomorrow
4 p.m. Msida vs Floriana
6 p.m. Pietà Hotspurs vs Hibernians.