SANTA LUCIA 0
SLIEMA WANDERERS 0
SANTA LUCIA
J. Archibald-6, A. Prates-6.5, N. Pulis-6, G. Conti-6.5, P. Silva-6, V. Plut-5.5, A. Souza-5.5, V. Filho-6, J. Zerafa-6 (77 J. Carbone), D. Xuereb-5.5, K. Xuereb-5.5 (63 J. Tanti).
SLIEMA W.
T. Aquilina-6, P. Morales-6, K. Shaw-6, G. Aquilina-5.5 (65 E. Agius), I. Gui-6 (76’ M. Scerri), D. Holla, Y. Uchida-6 (76 M. Beerman), J. Bliek-6, R. Kooh Sohna-5.5 (56 O. Elouni), D. Vukovic-6, V. Berisha-6.5 (76 J. Engerer).
Referee: Darryl Agius.
Yellow cards: Pulis, Silva, Berisha, Agius, Shaw, T. Aquilina, Filho, Prates.
Red card Holla (SW) 25.
BOV Player of the Match: Gianmarco Conti (Sliema Wanderers).
Santa Lucia and Sliema Wanderers continue to chase their first win after sharing the spoils in a goalless draw in the basement clash from the BOV Premier League.
Considering that Sliema played for over an hour in ten men, Santa Lucia were definitely disappointed not to take home the three points as they registered the sixth draw in seven matches.
The Wanderers, who remain anchored at the bottom of the table, two points behind the same Santa Lucia and Mosta, had three changes from the team which lost to Hibernians as Inters Gui, Yuki Uchida and Raphael Kooh Sohna were preferred to Warsama Hassan, Miguel Fernandes Lima and Myles Beerman.
For Santa Lucia, Kieran Xuereb replaced the suspended Jurgen Pisani.
Santa Lucia held the initiative in the opening minutes, going close with a Patrick Mota header after just four minutes following an Alan da Silva Souza freekick from the right. Gianmarco Conti tried his luck with a shot from outside the area which scraped past the post on 18 minutes.
Sliema replied with a Valmir Berisha effort ending just wide on 22 minutes and two minutes later, a Jamie Zerafa first-time effort was parried by Timothy Aquilina.
On 25 minutes, the Wanderers were reduced to ten men as Danny Holla was given marching orders by referee Darryl Agius for a tackle on Andre Prates, deemed as serious foul play by the referee.
Santa Lucia were expected to step up a gear but although they remained in command, Aquilina was not tested in the rest of the first half.
On 62 minutes, a long-distance effort by Kieran Xuereb just missed the target and four minutes later, following a good run by Conti on the left, he delivered a cross but the Sliema custodian anticipated Vito Plut.
Three minutes from time, a Kurt Shaw freekick for Sliema was neutralised by Julani Archibald and in a swift counter-attack for Santa Lucia, Plut served Alan da Silva Souza whose conclusion scraped past the post.
Two minutes in added time, Santa Lucia could have notched the winner but substitute Jamie Carbone headed the ball just over the bar following an inviting cross by Jan Tanti from the right.
