Naxxar Lions 1
Mintoff 34 og;
Sliema Wanderers 0

The fortunes of Naxxar Lions and Sliema Wanderers have changed dramatically in the last week.

Having waited nine games and three months for their first league win, Naxxar have now made it two in a row as they followed up their 4-0 mauling of Pietà Hotspurs with an uplifting 1-0 victory over the more-quoted Wanderers who finished the match with 10 men following the late dismissal of Italian defender Andrea Scozzese.

While the Lions have been oozing signs of revival since Jesmond Zerafa took charge of the team last month, Sliema have succumbed to back-to-back defeats for the first time since Stephen Azzopardi replaced Alfonso Greco at the helm.

The bare statistics may suggest that this was a somewhat fortuitous victory for Zerafa’s team as they prevailed thanks to John Mintoff’s own goal late in the first half but the Lions were worth their win.

Despite fielding a makeshift midfield due to the absence of Pablo Doffo, who stayed on the bench, Mattia Del Negro, Sidney and Uzeh Edafe, Naxxar came through an unsteady start to peg back Sliema.

The pace and verve of their attacking elements, spearheaded by Gilmar, proved too much for the shambolic Blues.

Sliema were tame in midfield, especially after the injury-en-forced withdrawal of Mark Scerri in the first half, and lacked spark in attack to stretch the well-drilled Naxxar defence in which Ibok Edet and Andrew Scicluna were towering figures.

Hampered by a dearth of midfielders, Zerafa deployed David Alejandro Reano, a left-back, alongside Victor Bellia in the centre. It was the usual 4-2-3-1 from the Naxxar coach with Gilmar roaming behind Pape Gueye.

For Sliema, there was a recall for Italian midfielder Paltemio Barbetti who stepped in for the suspended Andrea Pisanu.

The other change in Azzopardi’s starting XI saw Filippo Talato, a winger, replacing Marko Potezica while at the back Scozzese again deputised for Stefano Bianciardi.

The Sliema coach indulged in some positional tinkering as Michael Mifsud initially played off central striker Guy Kassa Gna-bouyou with Talato and Filippo Mangiacasale on the wings.

Sliema threatened inside the opening two minutes.

Latching on to a cross from Scerri, Mangiacasale found space in the Naxxar box but his close-range effort was blocked by the sliding Scicluna.

The Blues continued to show the brighter ideas. They were only denied an opener by Naxxar goalkeeper Julian Azzopardi who parried away Gnabouyou’s dangerous grounder after the French had been teed up by the lively Mangiacasale.

Naxxar managed to make a chance of their own thanks to a well-struck drive from Brazilian Gilmar but Glenn Zammit was equal to the task.

The Lions maintained their improvement.

On 12 minutes, Daren Falzon made headway on the right before swinging in a cross towards Gil-mar but his point-blank header was too tame to trouble Zammit.

On another occasion, Gilmar, now flitting around with renewed purpose, glided into the box from the left but his cross just eluded Falzon.

As the first half wore on, Naxxar began to assert themselves.

Sliema replied with a Barbetti drive that flew over the bar and Scozzese was wide with a free-kick.

On 26 minutes, the Lions were dangerous again when Uchenna Mbachy Emenike, the catalyst of their 4-0 rout of Pietà, roared clear on the left before delivering a teasing cross that flew across the face of goal. The ball dropped to Falzon but his effort came off the alert Luca Martinelli.

Gilmar’s sprightly movement allied with Emenike’s powerful runs on the right and Gueye’s direct running enabled Naxxar to gain ground.

Barbetti had a dipping cross-shot landing on top of the crossbar but, from the ensuing counter-attack, the Lions struck.

Once again, their swift transition from defence to attack had Sliema on the backfoot.

Gilmar powered clear through the middle before guiding a pass towards the advancing Gueye but, as Zammit dashed off his line, Mintoff slid in to intercept the ball but he only managed to roll it into his own net for a classic own goal.

Azzopardi was then forced into his first substitution as Scerri had to leave the field after picking up an injury. Trevor Cilia came on for the Wanderers captain.

Further evidence of Sliema’s troubles to get to grips with the fast movement of the Naxxar forwards came on 40 minutes when Eme-nike raced past Mintoff on the left before putting in a menacing cross that found no takers.

At half-time, Azzopardi tried to address his team’s flaws, hauling off the ineffective Gnabouyou in favour of midfielder Potezica as Mifsud switched to left wing and Talato took up the central striker’s role.

When Mangiacasale cut in from the right and played in Mifsud, the Malta captain looked odds-on to end his scoring drought but his grounder was off target.

Chasing an equaliser, Sliema surged forward from the off. Barbetti floated a pass towards Potezica but his volley was high.

Mangiacasale was then cautioned after referee Marco Borg ruled that the Italian had dived in the box when challenged by Angus Buhagiar.

Naxxar continued to pose problems on the counter with Gilmar leading the charge with gusto.

They were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position after Scozzese barged into Gueye. Gilmar’s curling free-kick grazed the upright.

As in the first half, Sliema faded away after their early flurry.

Their predicament deepened seven minutes from time when Scozzese was expelled after earning his second booking for hauling down the advancing Emenike who had exchanged passed with man-of-the-match Gilmar.

In the closing stages, Cilia’s free-kick was high and wide after Bellia, who had a good match alongside Reano, had impeded Mifsud.

In their next foray, Naxxar should have sealed victory with a second goal. Gilmar sped clear before laying the ball back for substitute Terence Vella who miscued his effort.

Naxxar Lions
J. Azzopardi-6.5, A. Scicluna-7, I. Edet-7, V. Bellia-7, P. Gueye-6.5 (85 T. Vella), D. Falzon-6, Gilmar-8, R.G. Cassar-6.5, A. Buhagiar-6.5, D.A. Reano-6.5, U.M. Eme-nike-6.5.

Sliema Wanderers
G. Zammit-5.5, L. Martinelli-6, A. Scozzese, G.K. Gnabouyou-4 (46 M. Potezica-6), J. Mintoff-5, M. Scerri-5.5 (36 T. Cilia-5.5), M. Mifsud-5, F. Talato-4, C. Gatt Baldacchino-5.5, F. Mangiacasale-5.5, P. Barbetti-5 (71 B. Muscat-5).

Referee: Marco Borg.

Yellow cards: Cilia; Mangiacasale; Talato; Scozzese; Barbetti; Buhagiar; Azzopardi; Bellia.

Red card: Scozzese (SW) 83.

BOV player of the match: Gilmar (Naxxar Lions).

Two matches at Corradino today

The two BOV Premier League matches at the Hibs Stadium yesterday have been rescheduled for this afternoon to give the waterlogged pitch more time to dry up following the heavy downpours on Friday.

The MFA said in a statement that the two fixtures – Balzan vs Hibernians and Birkirkara vs Floriana – will be played at the Corradino venue this afternoon with the first game kicking off at 2.

Standings

  P W D L F A Pts
Hibernians 10 9 1 0 29 6 28
Birkirkara 10 7 0 3 17 8 21
Valletta 11 6 1 4 19 7 19
Balzan 10 4 4 2 15 13 16
Qormi 10 4 2 4 13 13 14
Sliema W.  11 3 4 4 10 13 13
Mosta 10 4 1 5 9 19 13
Tarxien R. 10 2 6 2 13 12 12
Floriana 10 2 5 3 15 19 11
Naxxar L. 11 2 4 5 13 17 10
Pietà H. 10 2 2 6 7 17 8
Żebbuġ R.  11 0 4 7 12 28 4

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