LIJA ATHLETIC 0

SLIEMA WANDERERS 2
Bianciardi 16, Jefferson 79

Sliema earned a hard-fought win over lowly Lija Athletic in a match which, on paper, they should have won at a canter.

Sliema took control from the very first minute but Lija almost broke the deadlock in their first telling opportunity. Lee Joe Schembri spotted McAllister Clinch breaking away from his marker and his inch-perfect cross was well met by the former Birkirkara midfielder who shot over the bar.

Reprieved by that miss, the Wanderers quickly regained the initiative. They put their noses in front after 16 minutes when Qeros’s perfect ball from corner was headed home by the towering Stefano Bianciardi.

The second half never really got going. Sliema, in particular, failed to create any decent attempts at goal.

Fifteen minutes from time, Erjon Beu’s cross was met by Abubakar Bello Osagie but the Nigerian’s header was wide.

Sliema then worked out a move which knocked out their opponents. Pouncing on some hesitant defending by Lija in dealing with a ball just outside their box, Jefferson nipped ahead of Pedrag Babic and poked the ball into the net behind Martinelli.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.