Gżira United strike late to take derby honours at the expense of Sliema Wanderers

SLIEMA WANDERERS 0

GZIRA UNITED               1

Chouaib 82

SLIEMA WANDERERS

K. Emeka, N. Frendo (88 Wescley), V. Plut, M. Beerman, G. Alcino, T. Kikabidze (64 A. Magri Overand), H, Murillo, G. Acheampong, S. Zibo (88 N. Strickland), S. Pisani, M. Awad (64 K. Nwoko).

GZIRA UNITED

C. Formosa, J. Minala, A. Borg, Thaylor, H. Chouaib, C. Riascos, M. Shaquill, D. Barbosa, S. Denic, K. Zammit, T. Espindola.

Referee: Ezekiel Barbara.

Yellow cards: Kikabidze, Minala, Zibo, Alcino, Murillo, Formosa, Shaquill.

Hassany Faysal Chouiab tapped home the winner after somewhat fortuitous circumstances Gżira United took bragging rights in the derby against rivals Sliema Wanderers.

To be fair, Sliema Wanderers deserved a point for their endeavours but never looked like scoring as Gżira snuffed out their attacking threat.

Sliema and Gżira laid their respective Premier League struggles bare for all to see in a bitterly disappointing match at the Centenary Stadium.

Heading into the match second-from-bottm, Gżira, had marginally more purpose in their play and deserved their valuable victory.

This win lifts Giovanni Tedesco’s team out of the bottom three and with more cutting edge up front, the Maroons looked well equipped looked well equipped to climb out of the bottom six.

Sliema rarely threatened Gżira as they showed little of their recent form upfront in which they scored 10 goals in their last three matches.

It was Sliema who created the best opportunity of the opening half. The clock marked 39 minutes when the Gżira rearguard lost possession cheaply deep in their own half, Vito Pluto squared the ball to Mohamed Awad who miskicked the ball in front of Cain Formosa.

Then it was the turn of Plut to fire wide but from then on the Sliema attack disintegrated.

A last-ditch tackle by Neil Frendo blocked Thaylor who was launched towards goal as the winger hit the side-netting from the ensuing corner.

Things barely livened up in the second half with Thaylor’s dangerous right-wing cross threatening to create a chance worthy of that name with Gustavo Alcino comfortably clearing the danger.

It appeared as though the game was drifting towards a stalemate when Sliema committed the error that cost them the points.

Thaylor kicked the ball into the box, and his bobbled effort was blocked by the Sliema rearguard and cruelly deflected into the path of Chouiab, giving him the easiest of tap-ins to fire home the winner.