Birkirkara 1
Jorge 15;
Sliema Wanderers 1
Mifsud 10;

High-flying Birkirkara consolidated their third spot on the back of Floriana’s defeat but they failed to beat Sliema Wanderers for the third time this season.

Narrowly-beaten twice by Sliema Wanderers this season, Paul Zammit looked to have the momentum – four wins and a draw from the last five matches – to make it third time lucky, yet they failed to convert their possession and chances into goals.

Sliema made four changes to the side that lost 2-0 against the leaders . Three of the four changes in the Wanderers’ line-up were enforced upon coach Danilo Doncic by lack of fitness of Trevor Cilia, Rumen Galabov and Cleavon Frendo. Josef Mifsud, Mark Scerri, Andrew Decesare and Danail Mitev were handed first-team roles.

Doncic’s tactics paid off immediately as Mifsud, who produced a solid performance alongside Nikola Bogdanovic, belied his diminutive stature to rise above the Stripes’ towering defence to head home from a corner by Ryan Fenech when the scoreboard showed 10 minutes.

Sliema’s work-rate was causing problems to the Stripes’ patient build-up play as the latter were given no time to settle on the ball, but when Birkirkara ran at the Sliema defence, it produced better results.

That was proved on the quarter of the hour mark when Jorge received the ball at the edge of the area and turned past his marker before placing the ball precisely into the top left-hand corner.

After 37 minutes, Birkirkara suffered an injury setback when Paul Fenech fell badly under the challenge from Mark Scerri and was substituted by Rowen Muscat.

One injury setback followed another as Sliema’s Andrew Decesare limped out injured just before half-time and was replaced by Steve Bezzina.

On the restart, Doncic was forced to make a second change as Mitev withdrew injured and was replaced by Clifford Gatt Baldacchino who moved at centre-back with Bogdanovic advancing to midfield.

The Stripes almost took advantage of the defensive readjustment as Rodrigo Pereira rose to meet Bajada’s corner but the ball went just wide.

Birkirkara went all-out attack and earned a penalty in the 51st minute after Gatt Baldacchino hauled down Mifsud Triganza in the box. The former Sliema striker took the penalty, but he shot straight down the middle where Henry Bonello was waiting to make the save.

Seemingly cruising, the momentum was with Birkirkara while Doncic cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines.

And frustration increased after 75 minutes when Fenech strode forward on the right flank and crossed low for substitute Trevor Cilia who hit the ball badly with an open goal at his mercy.

Two minutes later, it was Fenech’s turn to fumble another chance when he somehow failed to convert in front of Reuben Gauci.

Sensing his side’s loss of momentum, Zammit sent on Michael Camilleri for Bajada and the former’s first shot on goal bounced off the underside of the bar in the 80th minute.

With Sliema’s rearguard under pressure, Gatt Baldacchino’s miserable afternoon was compounded just before the final whistle when he received a second yellow card for a foul on Jorge.

Birkirkara
R. Gauci-6, A. Buhagiar-5.5, N. Vukanac-6, J. Zerafa-6, R. Scicluna-5, S. Bajada-6 (78 M. Camilleri), P. Fenech- (37 R. Muscat-6), G. Sciberras-6.5, R. Pereira-6, Jorge-7, J. Mifsud Triganza-6 (85 R. Camenzuli).

Sliema Wanderers
H. Bonello-7, J. Mifsud-6.5, M. Scerri-6, J. Ani-6 (70 T. Cilia), D. Mitev-5 (46 C. Gatt Baldacchino), R. Fenech-7, R. Grech-6.5, A. Decesare-5 (44 S. Bezzina-6), A. Muscat-6, N.Bogdanovic-6, E. Lattes-5.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri

Yellow cards: Gatt Baldacchino, Bogdanovic, Sciberras.

Missed penalty: Mifsud Triganza (B) 51.

Red card: Gatt Baldacchino (S) 90.

BOV Player of the match: Henry Bonello (Sliema W.).

Attendance: 3,373