Sliema Wanderers 3
Mateus 1; Potezica 59; Pedrinho 64;
Valletta 3
Nafti 5; Camilleri 45; Briffa 68;
A goal after just 17 seconds set the tone for a high-scoring match between Valletta and Sliema Wanderers last night.
It was end-to-end stuff from start to finish as these two teams traded attacks and goals but at the end had to settle for a point that delighted Hibs most as the long-time leaders will be crowned champions if they beat Floriana today.
As can be expected from a game that produced six goals, both Valletta and Sliema were guilty of some poor defending but there were also some outstanding attacking performances.
Abdelkarim Nafti excelled for Valletta. His agility and trickery had Sliema in a tangle as the Tunisian winger capped a man-of-the-match display by scoring a goal and having a hand in the other two.
In the blue corner, there was Pedrinho, another elusive player who also gave his opponents endless problems with his twisting runs and set-piece prowess.
Valletta will be disappointed at their failure to gain maximum points as they looked to consolidate second place in the table but they did well to hit back after twice falling behind.
The three changes in the Valletta line-up were enforced on coach Ivan Zammit by the injury to Ian Azzopardi and the suspension to Hamza Barry and Luke Dimech.
Zammit was still able to field a strong team as Ryan Camilleri stepped in for Azzopardi while the returning Shaun Bajada and Llywelyn Cremona replaced Barry and Dimech.
Hardly 17 seconds from kick-off had elapsed when Sliema took the lead. Making headway on the right, Mateus surprised Valletta goalkeeper Pietro Marino with a grounder to score one of the fastest goals of the season.
Undeterred, Valletta levelled matters four minutes later.
Nafti ghosted his way into the box to latch on to Roderick Briffa’s through-ball before lifting his shot over goalkeeper Glenn Zammit and into the far corner of net.
Nafti played on the left of Valletta’s three-man attack with Lateef Elford Alliyu in the centre and Cremona on the right.
On nine minutes, Nafti swung his cross towards goal but Zammit was alert to the danger.
After that initial flurry, the game reverted to mundane levels. Sliema appealed for a penalty when Mark Scerri ended on the turf after being challenged by Jonathan Caruana but Latvian referee Vadims Fugla saw nothing wrong.
Valletta should have gone ahead on the half-hour as Caruana’s raking pass from midfield dropped invitingly to Elford Alliyu who sidestepped his marker but his effort was turned away for a corner by Zammit.
Improved passing and better movement by the City players increased their attacking threat. Cremona was high from outside the box.
Seven minutes from half-time, Zammit was forced into his first substitution after Hillary Ikenna’s participation was cut short by injury.
UAE defender Hamid Alkamali entered the fray, taking up the right-back position as Bajada moved into midfield. As Valletta were adjusting to the changes, Sliema almost scored as Pedrinho set off on a dazzling run but his effort was deflected away for a corner.
On the stroke of half-time, Zammit stopped Steve Borg’s header from Nafti’s set-piece cross. Moments later, Valletta scored.
The goal came from an unlikely source with defender Camilleri showing excellent poise in guiding a dipping volley past Zammit after getting on the end of Nafti’s pass.
Six minutes into the second half, Sliema’s Trevor Cilia tested waters with a long-range drive that sailed wide of the post.
Valletta were now stroking the ball better but just when it looked as though the Citizens were in ascendancy, Sliema equalised.
Pedrinho won a free-kick and his set-piece cross sparked a melee with Marko Potezica nipping in to flick the ball past Marino.
The Citizens might have regained the lead when Nafti laid the ball to Elford Alliyu but the latter’s shot was diverted away for a corner.
The game livened up.
Sliema forged ahead when Pedrinho, running into the box to receive Mateus’s return pass, held off Caruana’s tame challenge to tap the ball past the fumbling Marino.
As in the first half, Valletta were back on even terms four minutes later, Briffa prodding past Zammit after being put through by Nafti.
At the other end, Bocar volleyed wide after being served by Mateus.
That was that as neither team was able to find a winner in the remaining minutes.
Sliema Wanderers: G. Zammit-6, A. Muscat-6, A. Scozzese-6.5, M. Scerri-6.5 (77 J. Borg), C. Gatt Baldacchino-5, Mateus-6, M. Potezica-6.5, T. Cilia-5.5, A. Friggieri-5.5 (90 P. Xuereb), Pedrinho-7.5, D. Bocar-6 (86 F. Talato).
Valletta: P. Marino-4, J. Caruana-5.5, S. Borg-6.5, R. Camilleri-7, R. Fenech-6.5, R. Briffa-7, H. Ikenna-6 (38 H.Alkamali-5.5), L. Elford Alliyu-5.5, S. Bajada-6 (71 D. Tabone-5.5), L. Cremona-6.5 (86 J. Suda), A. Nafti-8.
Referee: Vadims Fugla (Latvia FA).
Yellow cards: Camilleri; Bocar; Fenech; Cilia.
BOV player of the match: Abdelkarim Nafti (Valletta).
Attendance: 765.