Before this game from their first six matches, Sliema had won four matches, drew one and lost the other while Balzan won two matches, drew three and lost the other.
During this game against Balzan, Sliema were in a class of their own. With this win they pushed up to the top of the classification together with Hibernians.
Sliema were the better team with Balzan only showing flashes of good football. Sliema dominated the proceedings building a two-goal cushion by the end of the first forty five minutes. Their players were synchronised with each other causing Balzan problems for long stretches. Balzan had a good spell at the start of the second half even reducing the score, but their hopes of recovery disappeared when Sliema scored their third goal.
Balzan had the first attempt in the game when Paul Fenech crossed towards Eric Mc Woods who headed just over the bar.
However Sliema immediately took the initiative and in the 16th minute their opening goal came as no surprise. Following a cross from the right by Myles Beerman, Juri Cisotti’s shot was partially blocked by goalkeeper Vukasin Vranes and from the rebound unmarked ALESSANDRO MILESI had no difficulty to push the ball home.
Ten minutes later Juri Cisotti served, this time, Sylvano Comvalius who fired towards goal with Vukasin Vranes again partially saving but this time the Balzan defenders managed to clear the ball to safety.
In the 28th minute, Sylvano Comvalius was forced to leave the pitch with injury and was replaced with Ruslan Kisil.
On half hour, Sliema should have made it two when Juri Cisotti passed the ball into the path of Alessandro Milesi who served Alex Satariano who in turn missed a golden opportunity in front of goal.
Sliema insisted and in the 35th minute they doubled the score when JEAN PAUL FAFFUGIA was brought down inside the penalty area and from the resultant penalty he made no mistake.
In the second half, Balzan replaced Weverton Gomes Souza with Alfred Effiong and went on the offensive trying to get back in the game. In the 52nd minute they managed to pull one back with a great shot from UROS LJUBOMIRAC from the edge of the area, which gave no chance for Jake Galea to save.
Balzan did not have enough time to celebrate the goal as two minutes later Sliema increased the score when, following a cross by Alex Satariano from the right, goalkeeper Vukasin Vranes blocked a couple of successive shots from close range by Juri Cisotti and Alessandro Milesi with the ball falling into the path of unmarked JEAN PAUL FARRUGIA who finally shot home from close range.
This was practically the end of Balzan’s hopes as Sliema administered the match with ease as Balzan gave up hope of getting anything from the match.
On the hour Sliema were unlucky not to add a fourth goal when Ruslan Kisil’s effort from an acute angle finished against the upright.
SLIEMA :Jake Galea, Alex Satariano (John Mintoff 81′), Kurt Shaw, Alessandro Milesi (Denilson Pereira Neves 66′), Juri Cisotti (Gilmar da Silva Ribeiro 66′), Gabriel Aquilina, Oscar Linton, Jean Paul Farrugia, Myles Beerman, Dejan Vukovic, Sylvano Comvalius (Ruslan Kisil 28′).
BALZAN :Vukasin Vranes, Augustine Loof, Samir Arab (Sean Cipriott 66′), Paul Fenech (Neil Frendo 84′), Eric Lemond McWoods, Steve Pisani (Gary Camilleri 84′), Michael Johnson (Marcus Grima 84′), Uros Ljubomirac, Suleiman Jalu, Weverton Gomes Souza (Alfred Effiong 46′), Moussa Kamara.
Referee: Ishamel Barbara
BOV Player of the Match: Jean Paul Farrugia