360Sports Malta Premier – Final 4
Semi-Final 1
Sliema Wanderers………. 0
Birkirkara ……………………1 (a.e.t.)
A last-gasp goal from Maxuell Maia sealed Birkirkara’s place in the 1st semi final of the 360Sports Malta Premier League at the expense of Sliema Wanderers, after 90 minutes of regulation time and 32 minutes of extra time had failed to produce a breakthrough.
The match started cautiously, with the first shot on target arriving after 15 minutes — Paul Mbong testing Sliema goalkeeper Emeka, who saved comfortably. On 22 minutes, Maxuell Maia’s header from a Gaitan cross forced another stop from Emeka.
Sliema’s first real chance came in the 25th minute when Awad’s tame effort was gathered by Volpe in the Birkirkara goal.
Chances remained scarce at both ends. On 33 minutes, Volpe punched clear a cross from Magri Overend, while two minutes later, Satariano created space at the edge of the box but fired well wide. Makoma also tried his luck from distance for Birkirkara on 39 minutes, but his shot was off target.
Sliema’s best opportunity of the first half came in the 42nd minute. Beerman intercepted a pass in midfield and fed Plut, who advanced into the box but saw his shot blocked for a corner. Just before the break, Birkirkara executed a well-worked corner routine — Gaitan pulled the ball back to Satariano, whose low drive flashed just wide. From the ensuing corner, Emeka saved Makoma’s header to close the first half goalless.
Three minutes after the restart, Lacunza broke down the right for Birkirkara but shot straight at Emeka. Two minutes later, Awad burst between the Birkirkara defenders and went one-on-one with Volpe, only for the goalkeeper to block with his legs.
On 58 minutes, Birkirkara created another promising move as Reid’s backheel released Satariano, who crossed low into the box. Emeka intercepted before Maia could connect with a header.
The game settled into a midfield battle with few clear-cut chances. In the 82nd minute, Sliema had a free-kick from outside the box, taken by substitute Pradun, but it caused no trouble for Volpe. Two minutes before full time, Birkirkara lost Kemar Reid to injury and he was replaced by Yikpe.
Referee Alex Johnson added five minutes of stoppage time, but neither side could break the deadlock, sending the match into extra time with the score still 0–0.
The first and only real chance of the first extra-time period fell to Sliema after 14 minutes, when substitute Kyrian Nwoko fired wide from a tight angle.
In the 114th minute, Alcino’s header from a Steve Pisani corner for Sliema went wide.
Finally, in the 122nd minute, the decisive goal arrived. Shaun Dimech delivered a free-kick into the box, where league top scorer Maxuell Maia rose highest to head home past Emeka, leaving the Sliema goalkeeper with no chance.
Starting Line-ups
Sliema Wanderers:
Kelvin Agu Emeka, Neil Frendo, Adam Magri Overend, Vito Plut, Myles Beerman, Gustavo Alcino, Wescley Matos da Silva, Henrique Freire, Simon Zibo, Steven Pisani (capt.), Abdulahi Awad
Coach: Paul Zammit
Birkirkara:
Giacomo Volpe, Pablo Gaitan, Paul Mbong, Kemar Reid, Tomislav Papazov, Alex Satariano (capt.), Leandro Lacunza, Neil Micallef, Alessandro Coppola, Donovan Makoma, Maxuell Maia
Coach: Stefano De Angelis
Referee: Alex Johnson
