Old-Firm rivalry spurs silky Blues
Floriana 0Sliema Wanderers 2\nIt comes with their status as champions of Malta that every time Sliema Wanderers are in action they are expected to serve up flowing football. Failure on their part to entertain their fans has led to some criticism,...
Floriana 0
Sliema Wanderers 2
\nIt comes with their status as champions of Malta that every time Sliema Wanderers are in action they are expected to serve up flowing football.
Failure on their part to entertain their fans has led to some criticism, especially after their below-par display in the 0-0 draw against Birkirkara, never mind their unbeaten start to their title defence.
At the Hibs Ground yesterday, the onus was on the Wanderers to combine their businesslike qualities with a creditable performance when they took on Old-Firm rivals Floriana who are a livelier lot these days under Willie Vassallo.
Rising to the challenge, Edward Aquilina's troops overcame a difficult stretch midway through the first half to achieve a deserved victory.
These two rivals rolled back the years as their first clash of a 2004-2005 season, desperately in need of exciting fare, unfolded into a high-octane match, arguably one of the best so far this season.
Brimming with enthusiasm, the Greens' resolve to vindicate their recent progress with a good result helped them to produce some fluid football but the Blues' experience and superior ammunition decisively swayed the balance in their favour.
The three points gleaned from yesterday's match has taken Sliema seven points clear of nearest rivals Birkirkara who are out of action this weekend.
Sliema's mission to consolidate their position could not have had a better start as Claude Mattocks gave them a fifth-minute late.
Any suggestions that Mattocks's first encounter with his former team may affect his performance were instantly allayed. Danilo Doncic ran into the area and pulled the ball back in an attempt to set up a team-mate, Andre Rocha Da Silva hit the ball away but only as far as Mattocks whose first-time strike flashed into the low corner of Reuben Gauci's goal.
Sliema were streets ahead in those early stages, Doncic hitting wide after Stefan Giglio nodded the ball in his direction.
Rupert Mangion, restored to the starting line-up at the expense of Adrian Mifsud who is still finding his feet at Sliema since his summer move from Hibernians, then had a floating effort deviated for a corner.
Floriana mustered a semblance of reaction after their difficult start to the match, Steve Wellman delivering a cross towards the centre but the ball soared above the head of Nicolò Baldacchino.
Darren Debono then sliced the ball to deflect the flight of Trevor Cilia's cross towards the unmarked Riad Mynel Gango-Rtsa at the far post.
Floriana's propensity to push down the flanks was causing problems for Sliema. On 28 minutes, Cilia, now sprinting down the right, lofted another inviting cross towards the towering Wellman whose header was kept out by the alert Murphy Akanji.
With the champions showing no signs of re-discovering their early momentum, the energetic Floriana continued to use their better pace to put their opponents under pressure.
Eleven minutes from the end of the first half, Cilia cut inside Chetcuti and Laferla before squaring the ball to the steaming Rocha Da Silva. Much to the Greens' frustration, the Brazilian struck the ball straight into Akanji.
When Doncic and the sprightly Anonam, yesterday repositioned up front, swiftly exchanged passes in a rare Sliema foray, the dishevelled Floriana defence sensed danger, forcing Gango-Rtsa to trip Anonam on the edge of the area. Giglio's ensuing free-kick flew in no man's land.
Two minutes into first-half added time, Turner's header bypassed Gauci but Ian Ciantar stood in his way. The Floriana keeper then made a hash of his attempt to head the ball away from Doncic outside the area but Ian Azzopardi saw to it that the Serbian striker made no headway with a timely tackle. Strangely, the referee deemed that Azzopardi's intervention did not warrant a booking.
Floriana's toils to haul themselves into contention were undone when Sliema doubled their lead. Their second goal owed as much to Sliema's deadly efficiency as to a costly error from Wellman. His miscued pass was intercepted by Mattocks who swiftly supplied Anonam. Sliema's Nigerian striker skipped past two challenges before floating a perfect pass to Doncic who hit past Gauci.
Their confidence lifted by a cushion two-goal lead, Sliema now stroked the ball across the pitch with nonchalance as the demoralised Floriana threw in the towel. In stoppage time, Akanji stopped the Greens from reducing the arrears when saving a Clifton Ciantar effort.
Floriana: R. Gauci-5, R.M. Gango-Rtsa-6, C. Ciantar-7, I. Ciantar-6, I. Azzopardi-6, G. Bencini-5, T. Cilia-7, A. Rocha Da Silva-7, N. Baldacchino-4, S. Bajada-4 ('63 C. Cassar), S. Wellman-4 ('70 M. Micallef).
Sliema: M. Akanji-7, B. Said-6, D. Debono-7, N. Turner-7, C. Mattocks-7, D. Doncic-8, J. Chetcuti-6 ('70 A. Muscat), R. Mangion-6 ('50 A. Mifsud-5), O. Anonam-8 ('90 S. Tellus), K. Laferla-6, S. Giglio-7.
Referee: Lorry Sammut.
Scorers: Mattocks 5; Doncic 55.
Yellow Cards: Said; Anonam; C. Ciantar; Laferla; Turner; Giglio.
Player Of The Match: Orosco Anonam (Sliema).