Sliema Wanderers beat Balzan for second win

SLIEMA WANDERERS 2-0 BALZAN
Steve Pisani 37, Samuel Gomes 90

Referee: Philip Farrugia.

Yellow cards: Alcino, Stanic, Williams, Gomes, Zerjal.

Thanks to a goal in each half, Sliema Wanderers made it two wins out of two as they defeated Balzan 2-0.

After beating Mosta with an identical score in their first outing, the Wanderers claimed another three points while maintaining another clean sheet. They were the better side throughout the ninety minutes and deserved victory.

Balzan, on the other hand suffer a first defeat after earning just a point from the first match against Birkirkara last week.

Sliema had one change from the team which defeated Mosta as Serginho replaced the suspended Geoffrey Acheamapong while for Balzan, Gary Camilleri and Marcus Grima were named in the starting line-up as Triston Caruana was unavailable and Mosawer Ahadi was included as a substitute in the beginning of the second half.

Murilo Henrique went close to putting the Wanderers ahead on 17 minutes with a powerful first-time effort from inside the area which, however, ended just over the bar and on the half hour, a Steve Pisani freekick from the left was turned into a corner by Golovic. From the resulting corner by Pisani, Jonata headed just wide.

Sliema took the lead eight minutes from the end of the first half. Pisani received an assist from the left and with a low shot from inside the area, beat goalkeeper Danilo Golovic.

Balzan replied with an angled shot by Udoyen Akpan from the right which was parried by Emeka Kelvin Agu two minutes from the end of the first half.

Five minutes in the second half, Isaac Westendorf headed wide off a Nikola Zerjal cross from the right. Sliema replied with a cross by Jonata from the left from which Gustavo Alcino headed wide on 64 minutes. A cross shot by Jonata from the right was parried by the Balzan goalkeeper two minutes later. Golovic performed a good save on a Pisani freekick on 71 minutes as the Blues remained in control.

In a swift counter break for Balzan, on 73 minutes, Udoyen Akpan pounced on a through pass on the left but his angled shot sailed past the goal line, ending off target.

Substitute Samuel Gomes went close for Sliema with two minutes to go when he concluded a good move with a low shot from the edge of the area which was partially saved by Golovic with Awad hitting home but the goal was disallowed.

However Sliema managed to double the score on the 90th as Gomes received an assist from the left and when in front of the goalkeeper, he slotted the ball past the helpless Golovic.