Blues out to end positive season on winning note

Sliema Wanderers will be aiming to end a positive season on a winning note when they meet Mosta in their final match tomorrow evening.

The fourth-placed Blues are sure of their place in the Europa League next season as they lead Tarxien Rainbows by four points with only one game remaining.

There have been rumours that Sliema may force a decider for third place if they finish on equal points with Valletta, who face Hibs on Sunday, but under MFA rules, play-offs only take place to determine issues relating to the winning of the championship, relegation and qualification for a UEFA club competition.

Alfonso Greco, the Sliema coach, is not expected to make significant changes from the team that edged out Tarxien 4-3 with Nigerian Stanley Ohawuchi scoring all four goals for the Wanderers.

Alex Muscat and Ian Zammit return from suspension while Miguel Ciantar has a chance of recovering from an ankle prob-lem. Ivan Woods is sidelined with injury.

Having taken only one point in their last nine games, Mosta will be looking to finish a dismal Championship Pool campaign with a commendable result.

Bulgarian winger Danail Mitev is suspended.

The last programme of the 2012/13 BOV Premier League season kicks off this evening with a meaningless match between Balzan and Rabat Ajax, both safe from relegation.

For Rabat, today’s game promises to be a festive occasion after they secured their top-flight status on Sunday following Ħam-run’s defeat to Floriana.

Coach Silvio Vella must make do without midfielder Manuel Fuster and defender Clive Brincat, both suspended.

Balzan lost 5-2 to Qormi in their last outing.

Coach Riccardo Tumiatti is expected to include a host of youngsters in his line-up today but experienced players Jamie Pace, Renato Conceicao and Yessous Camilleri will not be involved after being suspended by the club for disciplinary reasons.

Tomorrow’s opening match is between Relegation Pool front-runners Floriana and Qormi.

The Greens, three points clear of Qormi, will be bidding to make it eight wins in a row in what will be coach Iain Brunskill’s last match in charge.

Winger Udo Nwoko is out, suspended, but goalkeeper Tony Warner and Steve Pisani are back after serving a one-match ban.

Qormi, themselves on a roll after four straight wins, are boosted by the return from suspension of defender Roderick Sammut but Luke Sciberras is suspended.

Previous results:
Balzan vs Rabat 2-0, 1-1, 0-3
Floriana vs Qormi 2-2, 0-0, 4-2
Sliema vs Mosta 0-2, 2-0, 1-0

Foreign referees

It was announced yesterday that the final matches from this season’s Premier League will be controlled by foreign referees.

The match officials will be from the Andorra, Holland and Ireland federations. The ex-change will be part of a refs’ programmes agreed upon by the MFA Referees’ Department.

Programme
Today: (Tedesco Stadium) 19.30 Balzan vs Rabat.
Tomorrow: (Hibs Stadium) 18.00 Floriana vs Qormi; 20.00 Sliema vs Mosta.
Saturday: (National Stadium) 15.00 Ħamrun vs Melita; 17.00 Birkirkara vs Tarxien.
Sunday: (National Stadium) 17.00 Valletta vs Hibernians.