Neptunes Emirates 14
San Giljan Giuseppe’s 7
(3-2, 5-1, 4-2, 2-2)
San Giljan’s opposition didn’t materialise, and the champions dictated play from the second session onwards. To make matters worse for the Saints, they lost Matthew Zammit, on fouls, before the interval, and Karl Galea followed suit in the third session. When Neptunes’ Tamas Molnar also committed his third foul, later on, his side were fully in command. The game had more expulsions, from red cards, issued, first to the Neptunes coach, Sergei Markoch, after the interval, and San Giljan’s mentor, Karl Izzo was also ejected in the last quarter.
When the champions were pulling away the saints did not help their cause, as they failed a host of man ups, converting only three from eleven. Steve Camilleri returned to his deadly best, with a nap hand of goals, and Edward Aquilina also grabbed a third session hat trick for Neptunes. For the Saints it was Matthew Pisani with three goals, and their newest foreigner, Darko Brguljan, from Montenegro, did not have that much impact for his side. He took the place of Boris Letica.
Neptunes: I. Bugeja, N. Lanzon 2, E. Aquilina 3, M. Stellini, G. Pace , A. Ciric 1, S. Camilleri 5, J. Camilleri 1, B. Lanzon, S. Gravina , R. Sciortino, T. Molnar 2, C. Mercieca
San Giljan: D. Camilleri, JC Cutajar , N. Sutic 2, K. Galea , B. Plumpton, M. Zammit 1, D. Brguljan 1, A. Bianchi , R. Mock, C. Gialanze, K. Mock, D. Abela, M. Pisani 3
Referees: I. Sciriha, A. Petronilli
BOV K.O. 1 Div. – Semi-final 1
Ta Xbiex Amigos 15
Otters Nivea 18
(4-5, 6-3, 2-2, 3-8)
It turned out to be quite an entertaining match, with a stroming finish by the Gozitans, who turned a three goal deficit into a three goal advantage. Otters also had the better start, but Ta Xbiex rallied back, to overturn the score. Otters were back on level terma, but by the interval Ta Xbiex were 10-8 ahead.
Honours were even after the break, with Ta Xbiex extending their lead in the last period, only for Otters to overwhelm their adversaries in the remaining time, and take a three goal advantage with them, for the second match.
Ta Xbiex paraded another Hungarian, Laszlo Suranyi, in lieu of Botond szabo, and he swept in six goals, with yuri Szeles contributing with another five goals. Otters, as usual, relied heavily on Zoltan Radocz, who rammed in sevan goals, along with hat tricks from Mate Balatoni and Karl Scicluna.
Ta Xbiex: L. Borg, J. Cremona, A. Galea 1, T. Zammit , L. Surajyi 6, C. Bugeja, K. Kalea 2, S. Cini, N. Bonello Ghio, C. Saliba, R. Attard, O. Zammit 1, Y. Szeles 5
Otters: A. Cachia, An. Cachia, G. Zammit 1, Z. Radocz 7, K. Scicluna 3, M. Balatoni 3, J. Paris 2, S. Dimech, E. Farrugia, K. Debattista 1, C. Martin, P. Martin, K. Grima Scott 1
Referees: P. Balzan, R. Spiteri