SLIEMA WANDERERS 2

Potezica 25, Potezica 87

FLORIANA 2

Piciollo 19, Fontanella 84 pen

Serbian midfielder Marko Potezica scored three minutes from time to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw for Sliema against Floriana.

Just as it looked as though Floriana had pulled off a third-consecutive derby honours, Potezica converted a ball from Jean Paul Farrugia with a shot between Matthew Calleja Cremona’s legs.

Before kick-off, the Floriana players unfurled a banner in memory of an avid Greens fan Steve Attard who passed away a few days ago.

With the clock signalling 20 minutes, Floriana broke the deadlock. Matteo Picciollo was the architect as his diagonal run on the left, had the Sliema defence on the backfoot before finding time and space to drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

With a balanced encounter in the pipeline and both sides engineering some fluid moves, it was the Sliema’s turn to carve a goal-scoring opportunity to equalise. Denni played a short corner out to Alex Muscat who served the unmarked Marko Potezica at the far post to unleash a rising shot into the top corner.

Greco’s boys were always menacing when they surged forward and just before half-time, Potezica was again involved in the thick of action. The Serbian fed the overlapping Fidelis who opted for a cross to Farrugia at the far post with the ball taking an awkward bounce as the ex-Hibernians forward failed to push the ball into the net.

Two minutes into the second half, Sliema thought they had taken when Potezica had a goal ‘disallowed’ after Denni’s left-wing corner was adjudged to have cross the line before the Serbian headed the ball in.

Following a rather quiet start to the second half, Floriana sprang to life shy the hour. Nicolas Chiesa would have scored a gem of a goal but for the woodwork as his drive hit the bar.

After 68 minutes, Farrugia did well to meet a long ball by Potezica as he tried to place past Matthew Calleja Cremona but the Floriana goalkeeper somehow managed to get a touch to the ball which was enough to foil the goal-scoring opportunity.

Seven minutes from time, Floriana were awarded a penalty after the hard-working Clifford Gatt Baldacchino rushed on substitute Mario Fontanella to floor in the area. The Italian striker picked himself up and sent Glenn Zammit the wrong way.

But Sliema, in particular Potezica, refused to wilt in the last minutes. Three minutes from time, Potezica shot between Calleja Cremona’s legs after a Farrugia flick slipped him in on goal.