Vittoriosa S 1
Og Mifsud 54
Sliema Wds 2
Mifsud Triganza 72; 88
Ten-man Sliema held off their opponents for more than an hour, roaring back from a goal down to overpower Vittoriosa and close the relegation chapter.
It was Sliema who did the early running and after seven minutes Clayton Failla came close as his volley flashed just wide.
The former Hibernians player threatened again on the half hour mark when he slipped a cross to Steve Bezzina who headed straight at Simon Agius.
However, two bookable offences in quick succession by Roderick Bajada saw the Wanderers emerge a man lighter for almost an hour and swung momentarily the match in Vittoriosa’s favour.
In fact in the 36th minute, the nippy midfielder pulled Jorge Santos back just outside the box right under the nose of referee Chris Lautier who had no hesitation and little option but to sent him off.
Vittoriosa’s best chance of the half fell to Luis Edison in the 43rd minute when the Brazilian striker failed to connect a leg to a defence-splitting pass threaded through by Alan Tabone.
Just before half-time, Failla released John Mintoff with a neat flick, and he drove deep into Vittoriosa territory, only to shoot high.
As it turned out this was to be the only contribution by the returning Mintoff who was replaced by 36-year-old Noel Turner to shore up the 10-man Sliema after the interval.
Danilo Doncic’s side did not seem adversely affected by having only 10 men and Agius kept out a powerful shot by Failla with an instinctive save.
Ultimately though, Vittoriosa’s extra men told when they took the lead on 54 minutes as defender Josef Mifsud sliced Leighton Grech’s harmless cross into his own net.
Considering the circumstances that should have made for a comfortable last half hour for Winston Muscat’s side but to their credit Sliema kept fighting and in the 66th minute, Agius saved well from Jackson Lima’s free-kick.
Doncic made another alteration after 54 minutes, introducing half-fit Etienne Barbara for Bezzina. And the striker was in the thick of action right away as he rewarded Sliema’s positivity on 72 minutes when his brilliant cross was turned past Agius by the inrushing Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza at the near post at a time when Sliema were temporarily reduced to nine men with Beppe Muscat stretchered off with injury.
The Sliema mentor was forced again into another reshuffle when Muscat lipped off to be replaced Obinna Obiefule.
And the Nigerian was the creator of a diagonal pass that exposed the right side of Vittoriosa’s defence but Chakib Lackhim caressed the woodwork.
Once again Vittoriosa were not short of possession but they were short of quality – a brutal reality emphasised when two minutes from time, Sliema went ahead. Obiefule chipped the ball forward and Lackheim got a crucial touch to the ball with his hand, going unnoticed by the officials before Mifsud Triganza could collect the ball himself and tap home with ease.
In a flurry of action in the dying minutes, Obiefule crashed a rising shot against the woodwork.