Sliema Burger King 2

Marsascala Breakers 4

(1-1, 0-1, 1-1, 0-1)

Marsascala were a happy lot yesterday as they finally managed to register a big win. And big it was as they beat none other than reigning champions Sliema with the Blues suffering their first seasonal loss after eight outings.

Pierre Borg effectively masterminded the greens’ success with a very disciplined game based on a tight defensive set-up.

Sliema, parading Maltese-Australain Nicky Falzon, opened the game on a high note with two cross bars but alos two missed man-ups.

Claudio Spiteri de Barro opened the score after almost two and a half minutes when M’Scala effectivley made good immediate us eof a John Soler exclusion.

Sliema’s replies, through John Paris and John Soler, were thwarted off with fine saves from the greens’ custodian Ian Bugeja. However the champions meritedly equalised after almost seven minutes (as from yesterday the sessions are eight minutes long in this category) when Falzon scored from a central position after Anthony Galea was excluded after a foul on Paris.

Anthony Galea put M’Scala back in the lead when he outswam Bianchi and, with the Blues late to cover, lobbed over Josie Cachia.

Bianchi had a goal disallowed seconds afterwards for a 2 metre infringement.

Both sides committed a number of mistakes and turnovers. Sliema were surely off-song in this session as they were many times pathetic in passing and also missed some close range shots just as M’Scala also missed on two occasions.

At the change of ends both sides had a player on two personal fouls, Cutajar for Mekcic’s side and Paul Privitera for Pierre Borg’s greens. Yet both coaches opted to leave these players in the water at the start of the third session.

After another Sliema turnover through an erratic pass towards the centre, M’Scala opened a two-goal lead when Chris Gialanze precisely lobbed diagonally, off the bar, from the left in the second minute of the third session.

Falzon was Sliema’s inspiration just seconds afterwards with a powerful bounce shot which left Bugeja helpless in M’Scala’s goal.

Tense minutes followed with M’Scala protesting against a De Barro offensive foul and subsequent exclusion and sliema’s Amisisng the Aquilina missing the target on two occasions.

Both goalkeepers had some good saves but the main highlight of the session was the continuation of fundamental mistakes on both sides of the pitch.

M’Scala won the swim-up in the last session and maanged to win a Paris exclusion in their first offence. Paul Privitera scored a gem of a diagonal goal with Soler slow to cover for his captain Cachia.

Gialanze was unfortunate not to increase the greens’ lead when he hit the bar. Seconds later Privitera was excluded (his third and final personal foul) but Soler’s shot was saved by Bugeja with the help of the post. This was the Blues’s eight man-up where they only scored one goal.

Josie Cachia kept Sliema in the game with a fine save off a De Barro back-hand shot and three minutes form the end, the reigning champions’ men tor Mekcic called a time-out to psychologically motivate his team which was playing surely below-par against M’Scala’s disciplined approach.

Galea Pace made a fine steal off Galea and Sliema won a Ciappara exclusion but once again Soler’s attempt was blocked by M’Scala’s resolute defenders to make it one-on-nine in man-ups.

Time was now in M’Scala’s favour as they duly played the possession game and celebrated meritedly their win at the end, a win that not only increased greatly their chances in the league (both numerically and psychologically) but also opened the whole league as Sliema’s two-point lead after the first phase has been reduced.

Sliema: J. Cachia, D. Paolella, E. Aquilina, M. Galea Pace, M. Meli, J. Soler, J. Paris, K. Engerer, C. Debono, F. Cutajar, R. Coleiro, N. Falzon 2, A. Bianchi.

Marsascala: I. Bugeja, C. Spiteri de Barro 1, A. Galea 1, P. Privitera 1, C. Gialanze 1, J. Xerri De Caro, J. Licari, L. Griscti, S. Micallef, R. Cutajar, P. Fava, D. Ciappara, S. Farrugia.

Refs: L. Ceccharelli, M. Caruana

San Giljan Fos. Clark 11

Otters 3

(1-0, 3-1, 4-1, 3-1)

San Giljan: J. Spiteri, K. Lanzon 2, K. D’Ugo, C. Bonello 1,G. Ghirxi, M. Zammit 3, J. Camilleri 1, M. Pace, G. Farrugia 1, A. Borda, S. Borg 1, D. Camilleri, K. Grima Scott 2.

Otters: R. Grech, D. Saliba, G. Zammit 1, S. Grech 1, J. Zammit 1, J. Buttigieg, P. Saliba, K. Mizzi, F. Bajada, S. Scicluna, E. Farrugia, B. Pavia, M. Tabone.

Refs: I. Sciriha, A. Deraffaele

Exiles RMF 13

Ta’ Xbiex MP 6

(1-0, 3-1, 5-2, 4-3)

Exiles: J. Cuschieri, M. Grima, M. Zarb, A. Borg Cole, T. Sullivan 3, K. Camilleri, G. Buttigieg, J. Cremona, J. Tabone 4, A. Arrigo 2, J. Vella 1, W. Privitera 1, M. Calleja 3.

Ta’ Xbiex: A. Tanti, G. Attard, A. Fero 1, K. Sciortino, C. D’Ugo 1, D. Dowling, J. Dimech, D. Schembri 2, P. Paolella 1, S. Balzan 1, P. Widowson, C. Sciortino, P. Dimech.

Refs: M. Angileri, R. Spiteri