Plucky Pietà frustrate Sliema

Pietà Hotspurs 2
Sliema Wanderers 2

Two goals to the good inside the first ten minutes may have given way to suggestions that Premier League leaders Sliema Wanderers were going to knock over Pietà Hotspurs whose declared objective at the start of the season was a top-six finish.

Such expectations proved way off the mark as Pietà, spearheaded by Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia, one of the most respected coaches in Maltese football, not only stemmed Sliema's tide by levelling matters but were unlucky not to take maximum spoils when they pounded the Sliema goal at the death.

Pietà have now earned two points from their opening two Championship Pool matches to provide ample proof of their intentions to stand up and be counted among the elite despite some cynics suggesting otherwise.

As for Sliema, they flattered to deceive. Going into the match with a two-point lead at the top, the Wanderers knew that they had to win to remain clear of Birkirkara. Edward Aquilina's men looked to have accomplished their mission after going 2-0 up by the 10th minute but instead of building on that lead, they faltered in the face of Pietà's increasing pressure.

Fluid football was a rare commodity in the embryonic stages of the game but Sliema found a breakthrough after five minutes. Jeffrey Chetcuti, lurking around the Pietà penalty box, retrieved a loose ball before astutely serving the steaming Noel Turner who sidefooted the ball past the diving Saviour Darmanin.

Pietà's stuttering start to the game was further compounded when, with the clock marking ten minutes play, Danilo Doncic's teasing cross from the right was headed home by Orosco Anonam.

Sliema's performance early on was unspectacular but efficient as they made the most of the chances that came their way. But as Pietà began to move forward with some tenacity, the Wanderers should have realised that they could not afford to sit back.

After 15 minutes, Malcolm Licari, who is due to undergo an operation on Wednesday which will rule him out for the rest of the season, dispossessed Laferla on the edge of the penalty area but his shot was repelled by Murphy Akanji. A minute later, Pietà reduced the deficit courtesy of Italian Giacomo Paniccia whose curling effort from a free-kick sailed past Sliema's defensive wall and into the net.

Sliema suddenly looked nervous as Pietà, galvanised by Paniccia's goal, continued to share the exchanges. Doncic may have restored Sliema's two-goal lead but headed wide after he received from Nenad Veselji.

Ten minutes from time, Chetcuti unleashed a rising shot from outside the penalty area but was denied by the crossbar.

Jamie Pace, overlooked by national coach Sigfried Held despite his consistently lively performances for Pietà this season, underlined his rich vein of form eight minutes from time. The Pietà midfielder set off on a powerful run through the middle, surged past a possee of Sliema defenders but his central attempt was parried by Akanji.

The complexion of the game remained unaltered after the change of ends. Pietà maintained their composure as they continued to unnerve their more-quoted opponents with their no-nonsense movement.

On one occasion, the impish Paniccia outfoxed Ciantar and centred but shot too weakly to unsettle Akanji.

Sliema's one-goal lead was too slender to give them any comfort but Aquilina's men were unable to impose their talents on the game.

Joe Brincat, who had not been included in Sliema's starting XI after he reportedly felt sick before the match, entered the fray after 64 minutes, replacing David Camilleri. The Malta midfielder may have made an instant impact on the game but for the post after he had carved open the Pietà defence.

Darmanin then stopped a shot on the turn by Ciantar after his defensive team-mates had failed to clear a Turner corner from the right.

The growing feeling that Pietà were still very much alive and kicking was vindicated 11 minutes from the end of normal time. Vincent Obidimalor, a first-half substitute for Kevin Mamo, exchanged passes with Paniccia down the right. The Italian twisted and turned before supplying a cross towards Anatole Debono who had the better of Carlo Mamo before despatching a low shot past Akanji. Two-all.

Aquilina's response to Pietà's equaliser was to effect a double substitution as Kevin Sammut and Chris Okoh came on for Said and Mamo respectively.

But it was Pietà who threatened to apply the killer touch on three separate occasions in the dying moments. Woods was just intercepted by Okoh after Pace had miscued when receiving from the effective Paniccia. Moments later, with Sliema flat-out in attack, Woods initiated a swift counter-attack before squaring the ball to the advancing Debono whose effort was deflected away for a corner by Akanji.

From the resulting corner, the ball again came to Debono who opted to chip the ball towards the goal only to be foiled by the crossbar. Pietà could not believe their luck but that did not spoil their day as it was they who rejoiced when referee Marco Borg whistled the end of the match.

Pietà: S. Darmanin, M. Di Lello, G. Sciberras, I. Woods, M. Licari (S. Ciscaldi), G. Paniccia, K. Mamo (V. Obidimalor), S. Pace, L. Lombardi, A. Debono, J. Pace.

Sliema: M. Akanji, I. Ciantar, C. Mamo (C. Okoh), B. Said (K. Sammut), D. Camilleri (J. Brincat), N. Turner, D. Doncic, N. Veselji, J. Chetcuti, O. Anonam, K. Laferla.

Referee: Marco Borg.

Scorers: Turner 5th; Anonam 10th; Paniccia 16th; Debono 79th.

Yellow Cards: Paniccia; Chetcuti; S. Pace.

Player Of The Match: Jamie Pace (Pietà Hotspurs).