Alex Muscat missed a penalty for Sliema as they held Balzan in a tight affair that ended in a predictable draw.

Sliema contained their opponents well, restricting Balzan to the odd attack down the left. Alfred Effiong instigated the move which Carlos de Fiori Mendes finished off with a powerfully-struck shot which ended just wide.

Sliema’s response was immediate when new boy Jefferson made a good run into the box before floating a dangerous shot-cum-cross that flew tantalizingly across the face of goal but found no takers.

On 23 minutes, Sliema’s hopes of grabbing the lead received a fillip as they were awarded a penalty. Racing onto a pass from Peter Xuereb, Jefferson’s quick footwork proved too much for Elkin Serrano Valero who floored the Wanderers striker with a late tackle. Sliema skipper Alex Muscat assumed responsibility for the penalty but his low strike was blocked by Balzan goalkeeper Ivan Janjusevic.

Sliema might have paid dearly for this miss but for a Giuseppe Sarao save on a header by Bojan Kaljevic.

Sarao distinguished himself after 52 minutes when touching away de Fiori Mendes’s free-kick. Effiong was first to the rebound but his effort was hooked off the line by Stefano Bianciardi.

Jefferson should have them in front shy the hour mark but he failed to lift the ball over the onrushing Janjusevic after a cute ball from Muscat.

Past the hour, de Fiori Mendes’s inswinger from corner flew past a sea of players but crashed against the far post. Kaljevic sliced the rebound out.

Sliema were suddenly on the back foot and Kaljevic, a largely peripheral figure in the first half, managed to guide his shot past Sarao but the ball hit the foot of a post.