The Malta Independent on Sunday
Two great goals put Sliema back on winning track
Two great goals, one in the stoppage time of the first and another one shortly on the resumption, put Sliema back on winningtrackagainstSt.Andrew’swho slumped to their third defeat on the trot.
The Saints were playing the better football till Jean Paul Farrugia’s opener, and then suffered another blow shortly after the break. From then onwards Sliema, who had Pani in their initial line up for the first time, dominated with De Assis at his best to emerge worthy winners.
Both teams were smarting from defeats in their last outings, Sliema against neighbours Gzira United and St. Andrew’sagainstHamrunSpartans,weith both teams playing for most of the time with a man less.
The match had a quite unusual, if not unique break, seven minutes into the match when play was halted as black smokecomingoutofanearbychimney wasaahazardtotheplayersonthefield.
When the match restarted after a couple of minutes there were attampts on both end from Sliema’ De Assis and Martin Davis of St.Andrew’s. On 21 minutes from a Frank Temile corner, a Jean Paul Farrugia header went slightly over the bar.
The match was rather scrappy in this patchofthefirsthalfwithbothsidesvery erratic and the referee’s constant stoppages, sometimes for trivial fouls, did not help matters either. On 32 minutes a Woo Ling freekick went slightly over the bar.
This was a good patch for the Saints, with the Wanderers’ defence in apparent difficulty. On 34 minutes a Blagrove cross from the right was met by Satariano, but the youngster’s drive just missed the crossbar.
The Saints continued to press and minuteslateraMartinDavisruncreated havoc in the Blues’ rearguard with his shot from an acute angle finishing againsttheupright.Atkinsonhadashot hitting thr side netting and on 38 minutes Reid went past a defender but shot over the bar.
The Saints were now all ver their opponents and Reid’ shot hit the side netting after a move with Atkinson. Against the run of play Sliema almost took the lead in stoppage time when Kurt Magro’s back pass inadvertently served Jean Paul Farrugia who was denied by Calleja Cremona.
But the Wanderers did take the lead just before the whistle when Jean Paul Farrugia scored a beauty direct from a afreekick.
Three minutes into the second half the Wanderers doubled the score with a gem of a goal scored by Jefferson De Assis who fired in the top corner from the edge of the area. This double blow in the space of a couple of minutes was too much for the Saints to absorb, when they were playing the better football.
Sliema were now in the driving seat and were playing the better football. Jefferson De Assis had a brilliant move but his shot which was going to finish at the back of the net was finished by Farrugia who was in an evident offside position, and the goal was rightly disallowed.
In the dying minutes of the game the Saints started to regain confidence and Reid was denied by a great Jake Galea save. But it was now too late for the Saints.