[attach id=238197 size="medium"]Sliema’s Stanley Ohawuchi (left) races past Alejandro Mendoza. Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar[/attach]

Sliema Wanderers 1
Woods 43;
Birkirkara 0

Birkirkara’s Premier League title challenge may have just run aground after they went down 1-0 to Sliema Wanderers who lived up to their reputation as the Stripes’ bogey team yesterday.

Three players stood out for the winners. Paltemio Barbetti was the architect behind Sliema’s win as he marshalled his team’s attacking moves, Matias Muchardi was prominent with his deft touches and Clifford Gatt Baldacchino was a huge inspiration in defence.

Birkirkara were everyone’s favourites to record their first victory in the Championship Pool to keep within touching distance of pace-setters Valletta and Hibernians. But Sliema, sensing that their opponents were having problems to find their usual fluency, upped the tempo and stunned their disjointed opponents with the winning goal just before half-time.

The Wanderers then frustrated Birkirkara after the break to hold out for a win that lifted them to third place, level with the Stripes on 22 points.

Goalkeeper Reuben Gauci was handed a chance to stake his claim for a regular place as he deputised for Justin Haber who was unavailable after being banned for one match for failing to produce a valid medical certificate as stipulated by the MFA rules.

Making a welcome return for Birkirkara were Joseph Zerafa and Paul Fenech who missed the 3-0 victory over Ħamrun Spartans because of suspension.

Stanley Ohawuchi was awarded his first start after his huge influence in Sliema’s victory over Balzan two weeks ago as Luigi Ruggiero paid the price for a series of missed chances by being left out of the first 11.

Sliema coach Alfonso Greco didn’t restrict himself to one change.

Gatt Baldacchino, Luca Martinelli, Mark Scerri and Glenn Zammit were all awarded a starting role while Josef Mifsud, Ian Zammit and James Abela were on the bench as John Mintoff missed out due to suspension.

Barbetti was the Wanderers’ holding midfielder in a 4-1-3-2 formation which was spearheaded by Ohawuchi and Ivan Woods.

Birkirkara’s 4-2-3-1 formation featured Shola Shodiya Haruna as the attacking fulcrum in front of Edward Herrera, Jhonnattann and Ryan Camenzuli.

The early exchanges were bereft of constructive football as the two sides struggled to find their passing rhythm. Birkirkara enjoyed a distinct edge, possession-wise, but their efforts were undone by poor passing in the final third.

Zammit made his first intervention of the afternoon on 19 minutes when he dived low to stop a central header by Gareth Sciberras from Haruna’s cross from the right.

Just after the half-hour mark, Jhonnattann interrupted the boredom with a thunderbolt, from a free-kick, that flew over the bar.

Six minutes later, Alex Muscat bore down the left flank but his sweetly-struck drive from the distance was saved by Gauci.

A long-range effort from Fenech after 38 minutes signalled the end of a spell of sustained pressure from the Stripes.

Two minutes from the break, Sliema scored. Zammit’s long kick flew over a sea of yellow-and-red shirts to reach the Birkirkara area and into the path of Woods who beat the offside trap, rounded the goalkeeper and deposited the ball into the net.

Coach Paul Zammit’s thoughts on Birkirkara’s first-half performance were reflected in his bold decision to make a double substitution, bringing on Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Rowen Muscat for Zach Muscat and Camenzuli .

This move necessitated some positional switches with Herrera dropping back to a defensive role and Mifsud Triganza forming part of three-pronged attack with Haruna and Jhonnattann.

Yet, Birkirkara’s flat-out approach was exposed by the speedy Ohawuchi. After 55 minutes, the striker showed good skill and poise as he raced past Alejandro Mendoza who had to restore to a foul to tame him, conceding a free-kick. Shaun Bajada’s drive was too central to trouble Gauci.

On the other side, Herrera sent in a teasing cross but found no takers.

With the midfield congested, Birkirkara’s propensity to make inroads down the flanks was exposing the Wanderers’ vulnerability. Jhonnattann broke free on the right but Gatt Baldacchino cleared the danger.

In the 76th minute, Jhonnattann’s looping free-kick from the distance appeared to be flowing dangerously towards goal but Zammit leapt to touch the ball away.

Two minutes later, Birkirkara’s faltering hopes of an equaliser looked all but over when Haruana was sent off for his second bookable offence. The Wanderers maintained a high tempo till the final whistle.

Substitute Ruggiero should have applied the killer blow when Bajada freed him in the penalty area but Gauci dashed out of his goal to close him down.

At the death, Bajada unleashed a fierce shot which the Birkirkara goalkeeper tipped over the woodwork. Soon after, Zerafa gave away possession cheaply in front of the Birkirkara box but Muchardi’s effort was blocked by Gauci as Sliema ended the match in attacking mode.

Sliema Wanderers
G. Zammit -6 , A. Muscat-6, L. Martinelli-6, S. Ohawuchi-6 (76 L. Ruggiero), P. Barbetti-8, M. Scerri-6, C. Gatt Baldacchino-7, I. Woods-6 (87 J. Mifsud), S. Bajada-6.5, M. Muchardi-7, S. Bianciardi-6.

Birkirkara
R. Gauci-6, Z. Muscat-5.5 (46 R. Muscat-5), E. Herrera-6 (84 Joselito), J. Zerafa-5, R. Camenzuli-5 (46 J.P. Mifsud Triganza-4) , N. Vukanac-5, G. Sciberras-6, A. Mendoza-5, P. Fenech-6, S. Shodiya Haruna, Jhonnattan-6.5.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Barbetti; Mendoza; Haruna; Scerri; Bianciardi;Woods; Fenech.

Red card: Shola Shodiya Haruna (B) 78.

BOV player of the match: Matias Muchardi (Sliema Wanderers).

Standings

  P W D L F A Pts
Valletta 23 14 7 2 54 15 26
Hibernians 23 15 3 5 50 24 26
Birkirkara 23 12 7 4 47 20 22
Sliema 23 12 4 7 35 22 22
Tarxien 23 11 5 7 39 35 19
Mosta 23 11 1 11 39 38 17
               
Balzan 23 8 6 9 37 37 17
Qormi 23 9 3 11 33 36 15
Floriana 23 6 9 8 28 32 15
Rabat 23 2 8 13 18 46 9
Ħamrun 23 4 4 15 25 61 8
Melita 23 3 5 15 19 58 7

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