Matias Garcia races past Steve Pisan, of Sliema Wanderers. Photo: Domenic Aquilina
SLIEMA WANDERERS 1
Plut 51
FLORIANA 2
Garcia 8, Sotomayor 90
SLIEMA WANDERERS
K. Emeka, J. Borg, V. Plut (81 K. Nwoko), M. Beerman, G. Alcino, Wescley, T. Kikabidze (46 A. Magri Overend), H. Freire, S. Zibo (46 G. Acheampong) , S. Pisani (76 N. Frendo), M. Awad (89 E. Agius)
FLORIANA
H. Mafoumbi, O. El Hasni, J. Grech (64 E. Mashike), Z. Scerri, J. Portocarrero (64 G. Sotomayor), M. Garcia, C. Zammit Lonardelli, J. Gonzalo, F. Sasere, A. Kouro (85 Fernandinho), G. Yameogo.
Referee: Philip Farrugia.
Yellow cards: Freire, Awad, El Hasni, Acheampong, Gamarra, Scerri, Sotomayor.
Red card: Freire (S) 23.
Floriana grabbed a golden opportunity to leapfrog at the top of the table with a last-gasp win over their rivals Sliema.
Chilean winger Gabriel Sotomayor looped a header over Sliema goalkeeper Kelvin Emeka at the end of a hard-fought encounter to hand victory for his team.
It was a harsh result for ten-man Sliema who pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages, but substitute Sotomayor bobbled in his first goal for the Greens to lift them at the top of the standings.
For Floriana, Fernandinho and Elvis Mashike paid the price for their lame showing against Balzan as they were replaced by Jork Becerra and Jake Grech as Zachary Scerri played in lieu of Dunstan Vella, suspended.
Wescley coming on for Geoffrey Acheampong was the only change in the Sliema formation.
Floriana did look the brighter of the teams going forward, and Oualid El Hasni should have opened the scoring when he found himself unmarked in the Sliema box inside the first five minutes, but his header went wide.
The Greens were soon ahead after the Sliema defence was caught static. Guy Yameogo picked out Matias Garcia from the right and the midfielder converted from short range.
Referee Philip Farrugia was being kept busy in the opening stages and not long after he had booked Henrique Murillo Freire, he reached for his red card after the Sliema skipper left his foot on Grech.
As Floriana looked to protect their lead, Steve Pisani with a first touch came close to bringing the scores level after being set up by Simon Zibo. But Pisani, formerly of Floriana, hit the ball over the bar.
That was about the extent of the first-half goalmouth action with the game being played out in midfield.
Garcia should have given a little bit more daylight to Floriana at the start of the second half but failed to get a good connection on Carlo Zammit Londarelli’s square pass to hit high and wide.
Sliema’s numerical disadvantage was not as obvious after the break and Floriana were made to pay shortly after as the previously subdued Wescley collected a pass from the left and centred for Vito Plut to coolly slot past Christoffer Mafoumbi.
A few minutes later, Zammit Londarelli created another shooting chance this time for Franklin Sasere but the Nigerian striker uncharacteristically dragged his shot wide.
Sliema began to dominate and Floriana had a double let-off when they were very lucky to avoid going behind with Wescley and Myles Beerman hitting the side-netting.
The arrival of Mashike and Sotomayor added muscle to Floriana’s attack as they went in search of a winner and, these proved inspired substitutions.
At death, a blunder by Kelvin Emeka handed Floriana the winner, as Gustavo Alcino blocked Mashike but Sotomayor’s looping header caught the Sliema goalkeeper flat-footed and went in off the underside of the bar.
