City breach Bonello’s resistance to go three points clear

Sliema Wanderers 0
Valletta 2
Cekulajevs 65; Barbosa 90;

A group of fervent City fans turned up at the Mosta ground to watch a Valletta training session in midweek. The purpose of their visit was to pep up the team’s morale after a somewhat turbulent weekend saw the champions surrender sole leadership in the BOV Premier League.

The heat was on the champions to recapture their winning touch but before kick-off, they were given a timely boost as Hibs, Valletta’s title rivals, slumped to an unexpected 1-0 defeat to Birkirkara to hand the initiative back to the Citizens.

Beset by the absence of a host of first-squad players, Valletta laboured to impose themselves on the game in the first half as the likewise depleted Sliema Wanderers exuded resilience to keep their opponents at bay.

The sight of goalkeeper Henry Bonello, the embodiment of Sliema’s never-say-die attitude, smothering away William Barbosa’s penalty on the stroke of half-time instilled fears among the erstwhile buoyant City supporters of another painful afternoon as the Whites struggled for fluency.

There was no noticeable change in the pattern of the game after the change of ends but Valletta soldiered on and after Aleksandrs Cekulajevs came off the bench to put them in front, Jesmond Zerafa’s troops held firm before Barbosa atoned for his penalty miss with a stoppage-time strike.

The afternoon’s events meant that Valletta are now three points clear of Hibs at the top as their win also sets them up nicely for Saturday’s derby against Floriana.

As for Sliema, they showed plenty of graft to weather Valletta’s pressure for long spells but they were toothless up front where the isolated Jerry Ani often cut a lonely figure. This defeat deals a further blow to Sliema’s European bid as they now slipped six points behind the third-placed Birkirkara.

Faced with the suspension-related absence of Roderick Briffa and Edmond Agius and that of the injured striker Michael Mifsud, Zerafa restored captain Gilbert Agius and Terrence Scerri to the starting formation.

Given that Gilbert Agius and Scerri are not exactly like-for-like replacements for Edmond Agius and Briffa, the City coach had to rejig his formation with Cekulajevs, a striker, dropped in favour of Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri who stepped into Briffa’s boots at right-back.

Scerri took over from Cekulajevs up front with Agius, Denni and Ousseni Zongo probing for openings behind the main striker.

Sliema coach Danilo Doncic eclipsed his City counterpart in terms of revamping his team as his selection showed six changes from the 3-3 draw with Balzan Youths. Mark Scerri and Anicet Eyenga were ruled out by suspension, Danail Mitev was out injured and Steve Bezzina and Josef Mifsud were only deemed fit to start on the bench.

Earning a first-team recall were Alex Muscat, Nikola Bogdanovic, Ryan Grech, Trevor Cilia, Ani and Beppe Muscat, the latter replacing Clifford Gatt Baldacchino who was among the substitutes.

The Blues’ 4-5-1-cum-4-3-3 approach had Ani leading the attack with Cilia and Cleaven Frendo on the wings.

Agius engineered Valletta’s first attack after three minutes as his cross from the right was headed back by Zongo at the far post but Denni’s effort was repelled by Bogdanovic, who flanked Rumen Galabov in defence. This came after three minutes.

The optimism of the upbeat City faithful rose when Agius released Zongo in the box but the Burkina Faso winger hammered wide with only Henry Bonello to beat.

On the other side of the pitch, there was a moment of apprehension for Valletta as Lattes’ swerving cross from a free-kick fizzed across the face of goal before the white-shirted players cleared for a corner.

The early exchanges were quite entertaining as the game ebbed and flowed. Valletta were denied an opener by Bonello who leapt into the air to push Agius’s looping volley over the bar after the City veteran had been set up by Panandetiguiri.

For all their possession, Valletta struggled to fashion clearcut chances as their forward play was too predictable, much to the frustration of their fans.

On the half-hour, Scerri managed to slip his marker to connect with Agius’s intelligent service but his diagonal effort was kept out by Bonello.

Scoring chances remained scarce as the close-knit Sliema easily quelled Valletta’s disjointed attacks.

On the stroke of half-time, Valletta were on the receiving end of an unexpected boost as the dithering Galabov was dispossessed by Zongo inside the box and the Bulgarian reacted by bringing down the Brazilian. Barbosa advanced to take the penalty but his angled drive drew a top-notch save from Bonello who turned the ball around his near post.

Early in the second half, Fenech, yesterday gunning against his parent club, broke into the box but his rising shot was high and wide.

Moments later, Hogg had to dash off his line to anticipate Cilia who was clean through after unpicking Valletta’s offside trap.

Shouts of ‘penalty’ emanated from the City section when Scerri fell to the ground after being challenged by Bogdanovic but referee Esther Azzopardi was unmoved.

Zerafa spent the first 15 minutes of the second half on the edge of the technical area as he tried to transmit a sense of urgency to his players. On the hour, the Valletta coach introduced Cekulajevs for Zongo and switched to 4-4-2.

Valletta should have forged ahead when Agius’s astute pass, played through the middle, reached the unmarked Scerri inside the box but the City forward, still short of match fitness, took a heavy first touch as Bonello came out to defuse the danger, beating away Scerri’s successive efforts.

The Blues’ relief was palpable but, in next to no time, they found themselves behind.

Pouncing on Bogdanovic’s miscued pass, Denni ghosted past the Sliema defence but his strike was smothered sideways by the brilliant Bonello. The loose ball fell to Cekulajevs who had the simplest of tasks to tap home.

Doncic responded by hauling off Galabov and Beppe Muscat in favour of Mifsud and Andrew Decesare who was making his first appearance since joining Sliema from Birkirkara during the January transfer window.

With four minutes remaining, Fenech’s free-kick was headed backwards by Alex Muscat but Valletta cleared the ball away for a corner.

It was all-hands-to-the-pump for Valletta as Sliema, driven by captain Muscat and Fenech, enjoyed a late spell of pressure.

In stoppage time, Nahuel Pulitano Jimenez, who had just replaced Denni, exchanged passes with Agius but his cross-cum-shot ended wide.

On the cusp of time, Valletta applied the killer touch, Barbosa accelerating into the box to latch on to Agius’s pass before ramming past Bonello.

Sliema Wanderers
H. Bonello-8.5, A. Muscat-6.5, N. Bogdanovic-6.5, R. Grech-6, T. Cilia-5, R. Fenech-6.5, R. Galabov-5 (67 J. Mifsud-5), J. Ani-4, E. Lattes-5, C. Frendo-6 (82 A. Caligari), B. Muscat-5 (67 A. Decesare-4).

Valletta
A. Hogg-6.5, J. Caruana-6.5, S. Borg-7, I. Azzopardi-6, G. Agius-7, Denni-6.5 (86 N. Jimenez), T. Scerri-5, O. Zongo-5 (60 A. Cekulajevs-6), W. Barbosa-7, S.M. Panandetiguiri-6, R. Bajada-6.

Referee: Esther Azzopardi.

Missed penalty: Barbosa (V) 44.

Yellow cards: Panandetiguiri; Hogg.

BOV player of the match: Henry Bonello (Sliema).

Attendance: 1,986.