Sirens are the local 2005 waterpolo champions! This resulted after that Sliema lost against arch rivals Neptunes in the last game in the regular league after a tit-for-tat match followed by an impressive crowd at the national swimming pool.

In fact Sirens left the pool with the season’s highest honour, their sixth success in club history.

Sliema knew fully well that only a win could lead them to force a decider against Sirens but they had to bow down to Neptunes’ tenacity as the reds meritedly won a tight and aggressive match which had various facets.

Without diminishing Neptunes’ merits, a major influence on the end result was John Soler’s definite exclusion from the game, late in the third session when Sliema were 10-8 in the lead. The Sliema captain was sent off three times in the same session and his absence was seemingly felt by his colleagues in the dying moments of the game.

The first session ended level at 2-2 with Lanzon and Edward Aquilina grabbing a respective brace with Lanzon scoring his first penalty after a Cutajar foul on Galea.

The second session was a spectacle for the fans on the stands as there were no less than 9 goals with Sliema (who also had the possibility of a unique record of five consecutive title wins in their minds) outpipping their rivals with the odd goal so as to change ends 7-6 in the lead.

Midway into the third session Neptunes drew level at 8-8 following Lanzon’s fourth netting on the day after a break.

However Sliema passed through a good patch and two successive goals from Debono and John Paris (a Stellini man-up) put the blues 10-8 in the lead.

Yet, seconds from the end of the session Soler, playing as last man, was sent off for good and David Camilleri scored a buzzer-beater so as to charge his team mates for the final session as it was a one-goal game, 10-9.

Debono registered his hat-trick with a lob just 46 seconds into the last session but Sliema’s offensive energies seemed to dwindle after this goal and Neptunes, who definitely looked resolute to spoil Sliema’s chances and at elast keep their record of four title wins, drew level with a well taken Matthew Pisani goal on a 3 vs 2 break.

Neptunes were on song now and a minute later, Bianchi was fouled out and Steve Camilleri immediately made good use of the man-up to score what resulted to be the winner..

At the end of the match, after some calm was restored, Sirens’ captain Jonathan Valletta was presented with the league trophy.

Sliema: J. Cachia, D. Paolella, E. Aquilina 2, M. Galea Pace 1, M. Meli, J. Soler 1, J. Paris 1, K. Engerer, C. Debono 3, F. Cutajar 1, R. Coleiro, N. Falzon 1, A. Bianchi 1.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 4, S. Camilleri 1, K. Galea, E. Cachia 2, J. Brownrigg, S. Gravina, L. Attard, D. Camilleri 2, D. Caruana, A. Sammut, M. Stellini 1, M. Pisani 2.

Refs: L. Bianco, M. Dalli

Div II

San Giljan 7

Exiles RMF 5

(1-2, 3-1, 1-1, 2-1)

San Giljan: D. Camilleri, J. Spiteri, K. Lanzon 1, K. D’Ugo, C. Bonello 1, G. Ghirxi, M. Zammit 4, I. Azzopardi, M. Pace, G. Farrugia, A. Borda, S. Borg, K. Grima Scott 1.

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

Refs: P. Balzan, M. Caruana

Ta’ Xbiex MP 9

Otters 5

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

Ta’ Xbiex: A. Tanti, G. Attard, P. Widowson, K. Sciortino 2, C. D’Ugo, N. Giordano, D. Dowling, J. Dimech, D. Schembri 1, S. Balzan 3, P. Paolella 3, C. Sciortino, M. Bianchi.

Otters: R. Grech, D. Saliba, S. Scerri, S. Grech 3, J. Zammit 1, J. Buttigieg, P. Saliba 2, K. Mizzi, J. Cefai, B. Pavia, E. Farrugia, M. Tabone, N. Apap.

Refs: M. Angileri, P. Giordano