Match of the Week: Swieqi United FC vs Sliema Wanderers FC

 With the promotion race becoming a nail-biting scenario more than ever, two of the contenders will be commencing their third round commitments with a direct encounter. Second place Swieqi United will lock horns against fourth place Sliema Wanderers, in a match which will have a big say on the promotion challenge. Swieqi United have lost their previous match against leaders Gozo in a dramatic way and following their break due to K/O fixtures, they will be in a sharp form to battle the Wanderers for the three points. A win for the Oranges, would mean extending their lead over Hamrun Spartans to 6 points, at least for 24 hours, with the latter facing Mosta tomorrow. Meanwhile, Sliema Wanderers are coming from a difficult period having lost their direct encounter against Hamrun Spartans in a thrilling 4-3 result while they have been knocked out from the domestic cup by Gozo last week. A win for the Wanderers would see them leapfrog the Spartans into third place, reducing the gap within Swieqi for only two points, while a loss would potentially see them out of the contention for the second spot.    Jochen Lenders & Max Bartolo (Swieqi United FC): ‘’As a team we will be looking to bounce back after the narrow defeat versus Gozo and we have been looking forward for this match for the last two weeks. Sliema Wanderers always give their very best and our games against them so far could have gone either way. We’ll have to be at our best this evening if we are to beat them but as coaches, we have full confidence in our girls.’’ Nigel McCarthy (Sliema Wanderers FC):  ‘’It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us to get into gear again and never caught up the rhythm we had prior the Christmas break. Hoping all will be back for the third round to finish off in a good position.’’ 1st round encounter:Swieqi United 3-0 Sliema WanderersSliema Wanderers 1-0 Swieqi United Standings – BOV Women’s 2nd Division:1.      Gozo FC – 34 points2.      Swieqi United FC – 25 points3.      Hamrun Spartans – 22 points4.      Sliema Wanderers – 20 points 5.      Mosta FC – 10 points6.      Tarxien Rainbows FC – 7 points7.      Kirkop United FC Team B – 1 point