Sliema Wanderers held 1-1 by Gżira United in derby

Sliema Wanderers drew 1-1 with neighbours Gżira United in the Malta Premier League at the Tony Bezzina Stadium in Paola on Sunday 11 October, with both goals coming in the first eleven minutes.

Anthony Limbombe gave Sliema the lead almost straight from the start, beating Gżira goalkeeper Edoardo Colombo. NET News timed the goal at 45 seconds and Talk.mt at two minutes. It was the former Belgium international's first goal in the Maltese Premier League, according to NET News. Gżira equalised about ten minutes in, when Albion Pllana lifted the ball over Sliema goalkeeper Henry Bonello after, NET News said, a Sliema mistake in midfield.

The game settled after the busy opening. Sliema created the better chances after the break, Talk.mt reported, and Colombo twice denied Wale Musa Alli: first a header just after the hour, then a shot six minutes later. Gżira's main reply in the second half, a counter-attack started by Pllana, came to nothing.

The draw extends Branko Nisevic's Sliema side's unbeaten run to five matches, after a goalless draw against Balzan last time out, NET News reported. Sliema stay sixth on 11 points, according to Talk.mt, while Gżira, coached by Darren Abdilla, picked up only their second point of the season and remain in the bottom half of the table.

Sliema Wanderers: Henry Bonello, Jean Borg (Nikolai Micallef 70), Diego Camara Calleja, Teddy Teuma, Brian Ariel Gambarte (Matteo Madeira Lorenzi 70), Anthony Limbombe Ekango (Nikolaos Karelis 77), Alexander Satariano, Vlatko Drobarov, Ionut Sebastian Cojocaru, Wale Musa Alli, Robin Polley (Adam Magri Overand 77).

Sliema's fixtures and results are on our sport page.