Ciantar aims to silence cynics as Old-Firm rivals lock horns

Sliema Wanderers' success in the last few seasons has been in sharp contrast with their rivals Floriana's struggles to emerge from their financial doldrums.

The Blues, champions of Malta for the last two years, still look to possess a significant edge over their Old-Firm adversaries in so far as financial stability and playing resources are concerned but Floriana's steady progress, both on and off the pitch, definitely points to a better present and future.

Their clash with the Wanderers, this afternoon at the Hibs Ground (kick-off 4 p.m.), promises to be a useful, albeit delicate, test of Floriana's capacity to mix it with the big teams.

For Sliema, the significance of this match, apart from the old rivalry between the two teams, has increased in the wake of criticism of their low-key second-half performance in the goalless draw against Birkirkara.

Two players who will need no extra incentive to give their best in today's match are Claude Mattocks and Ian Ciantar.

These national team colleagues swapped clubs last summer... Mattocks, skipper of the Floriana team that clinched a slot in the top six last season, joined Sliema on loan for one year while Ciantar headed the opposite direction where he has teamed up with his younger brother Clifton.

"Floriana are a difficult team to play," Mattocks told The Times.

"From a personal point-of-view, I think this weekend I will attract more attention than usual because I shall be facing my former team for the first time in seven years.

"I am not particularly excited or nervous before this match but the prospect of lining up against Floriana evokes a particular feeling which I cannot really explain.

"Having said that, I am now a Sliema player and my focus is firmly set on helping my team gain the three points."

Sliema are sitting on top of the Premier League table with a four-point gap on Birkirkara but that could have been trimmed to just one were it not for Murphy Akanji's saves which denied the Stripes time and again.

Edward Aquilina, the Sliema Wanderers coach, is again deprived of veteran midfielder Joe Brincat who is recovering from a foot problem.

Mattocks, who like Ciantar started Malta's last two World Cup qualifiers against Iceland, 0-0, and Bulgaria, 1-4, believes that Floriana are finally coming good after years of underachievement.

"Floriana are famed for nurturing young talent through their excellent nursery but for some reason or another, the first team have yet to deliver on the promise of its players. Over the last four years, the team gained more experience and nowadays Floriana are considered as one of the toughest sides in the Premier League," Mattocks remarked.

The core of the Floriana team is still made up of homegrown talent but the summer acquisition of Ciantar has definitely instilled stability into their defence.

Since joining Floriana, the 28-year-old Ciantar has regained his old solid form, expelling widespread scepticism about his ability to play top-flight football after a cruciate operation.

For him, Floriana's clash with Sliema provides the ideal platform to prove his doubters wrong.

"First, we are looking forward to giving a good performance against Sliema," Ciantar said.

"We all know about the long rivalry between these two clubs and this game being the first derby since the player-exchange deal involving Mattocks and myself, I believe the expectations are even higher.

"Then, on a personal note, I am really thrilled by the prospect of taking on Sliema.

"This game gives me the opportunity to silence all those people who speculated that my career was virtually over after my knee operation. I am also keen to produce a solid performance to show that I can still hold a regular place in the Sliema team if I were still with them.

"But, above all, this game is not just about me defying the critics. The most important thing is to help Floriana to a positive result."

Outfought and outclassed by Birkirkara to the tune of 3-0 in their last outing before the pause for international matches, Floriana will be looking to get back on the winning trail against their unbeaten opponents.

Open game

Ciantar dismissed the notion that Floriana will favour a cautious game against Sliema.

"Our approach will not be defensive. We will try to stop Sliema from playing good, constructive football but we also have bold intentions of taking our game to them," Ciantar said.

Willie Vassallo, the Floriana coach, must make do without Brazilian striker Edoardo do Nascimento, plagued by a groin problem, but otherwise all the other players are available for selection.

Although Ciantar is convinced that Floriana are capable of breaking into the top four at the end of the season, he still rates Sliema as the best team in Malta.

"Sliema are always a threat," Ciantar remarked.

"They have this tendency of stuttering through the early stages of the league but when crunch time starts, they will be ready.

"Experience is their strength and it's thanks to the pedigree of their players that Sliema are top of the table after six games despite not showing their best football."