Sliema Wanderers…..1
Żabbar St Patrick…….0
Sliema Wanderers began their Closing Round campaign with a narrow victory over Żabbar St Patrick at the Tony Bezzina Stadium, securing three points that provided a positive start to this phase of the season.
The decisive moment arrived midway through the second half, with Roko Prsa scoring the only goal of the match. The Croatian midfielder produced a composed individual finish to separate the two sides, giving Sliema Wanderers a result that followed a difficult Opening Round.
Sliema controlled large spells of the opening half, dictating the tempo and applying sustained pressure in the opposition half. Żabbar St Patrick adopted a compact approach, focusing on defensive organisation while looking to create opportunities through quick transitions. Despite their efforts, clear chances were limited during the early exchanges.
Luke Montebello was one of the most active players in the early stages. After fifteen minutes, he created space on the right flank before striking a low shot that passed narrowly wide of the post. Moments later, Montebello delivered a precise cross to Prsa, whose header from inside the area failed to trouble the goal as it sailed over the bar.
The tempo dropped as the first half progressed, with both teams cancelling each other out in midfield. The next meaningful opportunity arrived shortly before the interval when Brazilian midfielder Wescley advanced from deep and tested the Żabbar goalkeeper Colombo, who gathered the low effort comfortably.
Early in the second half, Colombo was again required to intervene, reacting sharply to push over a rising shot from Sulahmana Bah. Żabbar were then forced into a substitution on the hour, with Mayron leaving the pitch through injury and Nicholas Agius taking his place.
With the match finely balanced, Sliema Wanderers found the breakthrough in the seventy first minute. Vito Plut threaded a well weighted pass into the area for Prsa, whose angled cross shot took a deflection off the upright before crossing the line, leaving Colombo with no chance.
The goal proved decisive, as Sliema saw out the closing stages to claim a valuable win. While Żabbar St Patrick remained competitive throughout, they were unable to create enough clear opportunities to change the outcome. The result allows Sliema Wanderers to open the Closing Round on a positive note as they look to build momentum in the weeks ahead.
