A thrilling encounter from the 1940s

In 1947-48, Valletta FC won their third league championship in four seasons.

The Citizens had a very strong team in those days and challenged seriously the domination which Sliema Wanderers and Floriana had on the local game.

During the first two weeks of February 1948, Valletta demonstrated their superiority by beating the ‘Old Firm’ partners in successive matches.

On January 31, Valletta, playing one of their best matches of the season, beat Sliema 3-2. Then, on February 14, the Citizens beat Floriana by the incredible margin of 5-0.

Time changes and with it old habits and customs. Valletta always used to find it difficult to beat their neighbours from Floriana. Yet, that day, they handed the Greens one of the worst defeats in their long history.

The match against Floriana was one of the brightest chapters in the history of the Valletta club but that season’s victory over the Wanderers earned them even greater prestige.

The Blues were fighting neck and neck with Valletta, Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana for the championship. They were in no mood to dish out favours and in this game they certainly gave as much as they got.

Valletta did beat the Wanderers but behind that statement there was the story of a keen and balanced game full of fast, attacking football.

In Salvinu Schembri, Valletta had a real match winner. He was a player who could make as well as score goals.

The Citizens also had a staunch full-back in Alfie Pearson against whom many Sliema attacks foundered. It was Pearson who, on many occasions, denied Sliema certain goals.

Gejtu Sacco was the best Sliema player on the field. He showed grit and determination to grapple with the City forwards in an attempt to win the midfield sector for his team.

However, the best player on show was Schembri. The wily fox was in one of his irresistible moods. He was simply too good for the opposition and in no period of the game did the Sliema defence take measure of this great player.

He scored two of Valletta’s goals and had several near-misses from any conceivable angle.

Valletta went into the attack from the start and kept the ball hovering around the Sliema area for the first five ­minutes but in the first Sliema attack Nenu Calleja hit the upright.

Valletta, however, were perkier than their opponents and it was only by crowding Schembri out that the Sliema defence kept the Valletta star player from doing serious damage.

Cup-tie tempo

The game was played at cup-tie tempo and it became faster by the minute. Valletta were more dangerous and it was just and fair when Ġużi Vassallo put them in front midway through the first half.

A few minutes later Sliema could have equalised but Tony Nicholl headed the ball just wide of the bar from an excellent position.

Barely a minute had elapsed from the start of the second half when Sliema drew level. Nicholl lobbed the ball into the middle. Ġużi Camilleri headed in, but Pearson saved on the goal-line. In nipped, Nicholl however, to finish off.

Now thrills started coming in on top of each other. Pawlu Vassallo ran in to a Schembri pass, tricked Eddie Cole and with the goal at his mercy blazed wide.

Then, Ġużi Vassallo headed in what looked like a certain goal but somehow Eddie Cole hooked it off the line.

Valletta persisted and Schembri hit the ball on the turn but it skimmed the top of the upright.

At last, Valletta went ahead. Sam Rodgers sent the ball into the box and Schembri in one flowing movement beat Cole and Calleja and glided the ball past goalkeeper Mugliett.

No one could hold Schembri now and a few minutes later he ran in to a cross-pass from Pawlu Vassallo to finish off with a superb first-timer.

With two goals to make up, Sliema doubled their efforts and three minutes from the end Maurice DeCesare scored to give Sliema a glimmer of hope.

The Wanderers went all out for the equaliser but their rally was too late and the whistle came with City winning the game by the odd goal in five.