Sliema Wanderers 3
Muscat 35; Woods 38, 59
Floriana 0
Sliema Wanderers appear to be rediscovering their best form at the right time.
High on confidence after their robust performance in the 0-0 draw against title hopefuls Hibs on Monday, Sliema easily disposed of Floriana's tame challenge in a one-sided Old Firm derby. The Wanderers had not beaten their old foes in their previous three encounters this season but yesterday, they hardly needed to step out of second gear to secure the three points and bolster their chances of a top-four finish.
Ivan Woods was Sliema's star performer yesterday, the veteran striker issuing a reminder of his scoring ability with a well-taken brace.
With the FA Trophy final against Valletta only two weeks away, the lively form displayed by Woods and most of his team-mates yesterday will surely have lifted the spirits of coach Stephen Azzopardi and the entire Sliema clan.
Sliema's starting XI yesterday featured three alterations from the team that started the draw with Hibs. John Mintoff was serving a one-match ban, Miguel Ciantar was out because of academic commitments and Kane Paul Farrugia was dropped to the bench.
Roderick Bajada and Woods were awarded a first-team recall after suspension kept them out of the Hibs match and Mark Scerri, a second-half substitute on Monday, was handed a starting berth.
Floriana coach Tony Alamango limited himself to one change from the team that went down 2-0 to Valletta, Luke Agius replacing the injured Ryan Darmanin.
In Darmanin's absence, Orosco Anonam took up the main attacking duties for Floriana while Woods assumed the same responsibilities for the Wanderers.
There was little in the way of scoring opportunities in the opening stages but Floriana, in their first telling raid on Sliema's defence, almost hit the jackpot.
Anonam made good progress in the inside-right channel before dragging the ball back to Christian Caruana whose first-time effort was touched away for a corner by Simon Agius.
Anonam then headed just wide of the near post as Floriana tried to pile up the pressure on the erstwhile lacklustre Sliema.
Two veterans then combined to create Sliema's best opportunity so far as Lucian Dronca floated a pass to Jeffrery Chetcuti who was clean through but his attempted lob was repelled by the on-rushing Glen Zammit.
Sliema opened the scoring 10 minutes from time. Zammit parried away a stinging drive from Matthew Bartolo but the loose ball fell to the unmarked Woods who chipped it over the Floriana goalkeeper and Muscat swooped at the far post to poke the ball into the net.
Muscat's opener had an uplifting effect on the Sliema players. Zammit kept out another Woods lob and from the rebound, Muscat sent his effort wide.
Within three minutes of their breakthrough, Sliema doubled their lead. Their second goal was a masterpiece by Woods who slipped past his marker before despatching an exquisite shot that caressed the underside of the bar and dropped inside the goalline with Zammit rooted to his spot.
It was all Sliema now, Woods going close to scoring his second but his grounder ricocheted off the outside the near post.
In the dying seconds of the opening half, Agius saved a low shot by Floriana's Agius.
Hardly 14 minutes from the start of the second half had elapsed when Sliema tripled their lead. Bartolo did the spadework with an incursion down the right before crossing to Woods who darted into the box, surged past Zammit and deposited the ball into the unguarded net.
Four minutes past the hour mark, Floriana should have narrowed the deficit when Marlon Briffa's pass released Anonam but the latter skied his shot high and wide.
Agius, a five-star performer for Sliema last Monday, denied Floriana a goal when fisting away Pablo Doffo's free-kick. With 16 minutes remaining, Sliema should have increased their lead. Bajada's curler was deflected into the path of Muscat who found himself in a one-on-one situation with Zammit but the tame shot by the Sliema wing-back was stopped by the Floriana goalkeeper.
Sliema eased off as the second half wore on while Floriana, at least, raised their efforts in search of a consolation goal.
Seven minutes from time, the Greens were unfortunate not to pull one back. Mauro Brincat sent in a teasing cross from a corner and Caruana's glancing header came off the far post.
Sliema Wanderers
S. Agius-6.5, A. Muscat-6 ('76 A. Mercieca), I. Azzopardi-6, B. Nisevic-6.5 ('70 J. Vella), M. Scerri-6.5, M. Bartolo-6.5 ('59 N. Turner-6), J. Chetcuti-6, I. Woods-7.5, L. Dronca-6.5, I. Ciantar-6.5, R. Bajada-6.
Floriana
G. Zammit-6, J. Briffa-5 ('59 C. Borg-5), S. Eboh-5 ('35 O, Bugeja), D. Pisani-5 ('83 A. Abela), P. Doffo-5.5, M. Briffa-5, O. Anonam-5, C. Camoin-5, L. Agius-5, C. Caruana-6, M. Brincat-5.
Referee: Clayton Pisani.
Yellow cards: J. Briffa; Chetcuti; Caruana; S. Agius.
BoV player of the match: Ivan Woods (Sliema Wanderers).