Malta round-up: Sliema ease past Naxxar

Sliema Wanderers FC rejoined Birkirkara FC at the top of the Maltese Premier League table after sweeping aside Naxxar Lions FC with a commanding 4-1 victory.

Sammut scores twice
Kevin Sammut opened the scoring for Sliema after 22 minutes on Sunday. Ten minutes later Roger Walker, playing as well as ever, doubled the score and there was no way back for Naxxar.  Sammut again put his name on the scoresheet with his second strike of the game on 56 minutes and the deadly Danilo Doncic put the result beyond any doubt with his 21st goal of the season on 48 minutes. 

Doncic targets record
Doncic is now just eleven goals short of the Maltese record of 32 goals in one campaign - a mark set by himself during the 1996/97 campaign for his former club Valletta FC.  Daniel Nwoke scored the consolation goal for Naxxar. Sliema's win came despite the absence of Nigerian goalkeeper Murphy Akanji, on duty with the national side in Mali for the African Cup of Nations. 

Challenge maintained
Also on Sunday, Hibernians FC kept up their challenge behind the top two teams.  A 4-0 win over bottom-placed Lija Athletics secured third position and they are now just two points adrift of the leaders.  The game had seemed to be heading for a goalless draw until Ndubisi Chukunyere broke the deadlock 16 minutes from the end.  Adrian Mifsud then scored his 14th goal of the season barely a minute later before Miguel Mifsud and Chukunyere again completed the rout with another two goals just before the end.