SLIEMA WANDERERS 1
Mintoff 54
FLORIANA 2
Fonesca 3, Busuttil 69
Floriana's defiant start to the campaign continued unabated yesterday with a composed performance over rivals Sliema Wanderers and in the process cranking up the pressure on their pursuers as they go six points clear at the top of the standings.
Such is their form this season, still unbeaten and with nine wins from 12 games that there is a growing sense of destiny about the Floriana's season. But still they have to be cautious as the target is some way away.
Floriana's ascendancy over Sliema was beyond question yesterday despite a 2-1 scoreline might indicate otherwise.
The Greens' win over their 'old rivals' was a distinct possibility on the strength of the teams' form but Sliema appeared to have the qualities to fend off the challenge of the Premier league leaders after their 2-1 victory over Birkikara last week.
Yet Floriana's superior work-rate and craft, which had not been so conspicious yesterday took its toll on fastly ailing Sliema.
Floriana started at blistering speed and were ahead inside the first three minutes. Diego Venancio sent in a dangerous free-kick and Tiago Fonesca got behind the Sliema defence to steer the ball past the stranded Entonjo Elezaj.
Despite the game getting off to a flying start, the standard of football was not sustained but Floriana's better organised midfield helped them maintain their territorial advantage.
Sliema looked short of pace up in attack and menacde on open play could only come from Juri Cisotti. But Floriana kept a close double guard on him.
On 20 minutes, Kristian Keqi thrived on his mobility to retrieve the ball before serving into the middle, where Jan Busuttil thundered in to blast the ball wide of Elezaj's far post.
Seven minutes later, the Sliema goalkeeper was summoned to block Fonesca's effort, only for Busuttil to hit wide.
Fonesca, then headed goalwards from Keqi's cross but his effort was hooked off the line by Goran Adamovic.
As the half progressed, Floriana did not maintain their pace and Sliema, while clearly inferior, were able to at last find a foothold in the game without creating any clear-cut opportunities.
Sliema suffered a setback just before half-time when Alex Satarino replaced the apparently injured Jean Paul Farrugia.
After the break, Claudio Zappa had to go off for treatment to a head wound after a collision with Matias Garcia, and returned heavily bandaged to find Sliema level. John Mintoff stabbed the ball home from point-blank range after the lively Kurt Shaw had slipped the ball across the face of the goal.
With the match locked at one-all, Keqi pulled off a magic touch to serve Busuttil when he waltzed his past a clutch of Blue shirts to reach the Albanian's back-heel before ramming the ball past Elezaj.
Floriana remained in control as Sliema failed to make a reaction. On the cusp of time, Peter Xuereb's cross took a deflection before landing on Cisotti's head but Akpan saved easily.
Jan Busuttil of Floriana was named BOV Player of the Match.