Valletta 2
Andrea Zammit 55’ (pen), Yannick Yankam 90+9’

Sliema Wanderers 1
Anthony Limbombe 73’

Yannick Yankam struck nine minutes into stoppage time to hand Valletta a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sliema Wanderers in an action-packed VBET Malta Premier League encounter on Saturday.

The match, which extended into the 102nd minute, saw both teams finish with ten players following a series of controversial incidents and lengthy Football Video Support (FVS) reviews.

The victory kept Valletta at the top of the standings with 19 points, while Sliema remained on 11 points after suffering their third defeat of the campaign.

Sliema made the brighter start, with Anthony Limbombe having an effort deflected behind before Jean Borg tested Valletta goalkeeper Adilson Maringa with a long-range attempt.

Gustavo Alcino and Steve Pisani also threatened for the Wanderers, but Valletta gradually settled into the match.

Roko Prsa and Brandon Paiber forced saves from Sliema goalkeeper Henry Bonello, while Andrea Zammit wasted a promising opportunity when he fired over from inside the penalty area.

Maringa was then called upon again to deny Limbombe as Sliema continued to create chances.

The match took a significant turn shortly before half-time when Sliema captain Steve Pisani was shown a straight red card following an FVS review of an off-the-ball incident.

Sliema challenged the decision, but referee Fyodor Zammit upheld the dismissal, leaving the Wanderers to play the remainder of the encounter with ten men.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Sliema remained competitive after the interval.

However, Valletta took the lead in the 55th minute when Andrea Zammit was brought down inside the penalty area by Vlatko Dobarov.

Following another FVS review, the referee confirmed the penalty and Zammit made no mistake from the spot to put the Citizens ahead.

Sliema refused to surrender and continued to search for an equaliser.

Robin Polley curled an effort wide before Alexander Satariano forced another save from Maringa.

Their persistence was rewarded in the 73rd minute when substitute Adam Magri Overend delivered an excellent cross which Limbombe headed home from close range.

The goal was subjected to a lengthy FVS review before eventually being allowed to stand, despite a subsequent challenge from Valletta.

The Citizens were then reduced to ten men themselves in the 88th minute when captain Brandon Paiber received a second yellow card for stopping a Sliema counter-attack.

With both teams pushing forward in search of a winner, Limbombe almost completed the comeback when his free-kick finished narrowly wide.

However, Valletta had the final say in the ninth minute of added time.

Yankam rose at the far post to meet a delivery into the penalty area and headed past Bonello to send the Valletta supporters into celebration.

The Malta international admitted that the winning goal was particularly satisfying after struggling with injury problems in recent months.

“The past few months have been difficult for me because of an injury that continued to trouble me,” Yankam said.

“But moments like today make everything worth it.”

Sliema coach Branko Nišević expressed disappointment at the result but praised his players for their determination despite playing much of the match with ten men.

“The game was definitely affected by the red card because it changed the balance, and then the penalty came soon afterwards,” Nišević said.

“We have to be proud of how the players approached the game throughout the match. It is a pity to come away from such a match without any points.”

The Sliema coach admitted that defensive lapses from set-piece situations had ultimately proved costly.

“We lacked concentration in some dead-ball situations, but that is the cruelty of football,” he added.

For Valletta, the dramatic victory represented another important step in their pursuit of the league title, with the Citizens maintaining their position at the summit following one of the most eventful matches of the season.