Neptunes Grimaldi     9     Sirens Ritter Sport     9   

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

Neptunes had to pull oput all the stops to take a point from this encounter, as Sirens finished the game on a strong note, only for Neptunes to grab a drawn result.

The game was played out in spurts, with one side, then the other, overtaking their opponents, to forge ahead, only to be pulled back. Neptunes found difficulty in their man up occasions, netting only twice in six attempts. On the other hand Sirens converted five of their nine man ups. Neptunes were coming from a comfortable victory over Exiles, with Sirens recuperating from a defeat by San Giljan.

Neptunes scored twice at first, through Cosmin radu and Niki Lanzon, with Sirens tying the score, with a brace of Zak Mizzi goals. In the second session Sergi Mors put Sirens in front, but Lanzon and Jeremy Abela had Neptunes ahead till the interval, on a 4-3 score.

After the break it was Sirens once again, taking a double goal advantage, with Mora and marc Grech strikes. Steve Camilleri took the match in hand for Neptunes, scoring a quick hat trick, to overturn the score, in neptunes' favour. Before the end of the period David Cutajar pulled a goal back for Sirens. at 6-7. The last quarter had Grech tying the score for the St. Paul's bay side. Timmy Agius again put Neptunes in front. Cutajar came to the fore for Sirens, with his two goals, as Sirens sped ahead. In a late flourish, Neptunes, having an extra player in the water, saved a point, with an Abela flick, for the first drawn match of the season.

Steve Camilleri scored three times for Neptunes, and David Cutajar did the same for Sirens.

Neptunes: A. Borg Cole , N. Lanzon 2, C. Radu1 , K. Erdogan , T. Agius 1,  M. Lanzon , S. Camilleri 3, J. Camilleri , J. Abela 2, M. Zammit , B. Lanzon , M. Azzopardi 1, M. Castillo

Sirens: N. Grixti , Z. Mizzi 2, S. Mora 2, G. Pace , M. Grech 2, I. Riolo ,  M. Balucci , D. Cutajar 3, J. Napier ,  J. Sciberras , L. Caruana ,  N. Farrugia , J. Cremona

Referees: A. DeRaffaele, M. Cataldi

 

San Giljan Salini Resort     11     Sliema Betsson     11

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

It was a thrilling match between these two sides. Both sides had their moments, with rallies coming along at either end, at different parts of the encounter. Sliema earned a point from the game, as they tied the score, from a man up situation, very late in the match. San Giljan netted half of their eight man up occasions. Sliema also scored four times, but from nine man ups. San Giljan had already beaten Sirens, with Sliema also starting with a victory, over Valletta.

It was Sliema with the first advantage, with a double strike, from Jerome Gabarretta and Edward Aquilina. San Giljan stormed forward, and swept past the Blues in a four goal burst, as Clint Mercieca, Boris Vapenski, Peter Borg and Dino Zammit all netted their goals. A Marco Cuk penalty reduced Sliema's deficit. In teh second period Gabarretta tied the score for Sliema, but Matthew Zammit and Dino Zammit goals had the champions on a 6-4 advantage, at the interval.

After the break Sliema strode ahead, piercing the Saints' rearguard three times in succession, through Alex Attard, Gabarretta and Cuk, as they went in front. San giljan recovered their composure, with a similar reply of three goals, from Matthew Zammit, Aurelien Cousin and Mercieca, again taking a double advantage. Gabarretta had the Blues just a goal behind, at 8-9. In the last session another Cuk penalty tied the score again for Sliema. The champions forced their way through, with Mercieca and Vapenski strikes, seemingly making sure of the result. Sliema dug deep in their resources, and came up with another Cuk goal, and when they were presented with their last man up occasion, they didn't falter, and Aquilina drove home from an angle, to salvage a point from the match. The champions' last attempt was charged down by the Blues' defence and the second drawn result was registered.

Clint Mercieca finished with three goals for San Giljan, and both Jerome Gabarreta and Marco Cuk obtained a poker of goals for the Sliema outfit.

San Giljan : J. Sammut , P. Borg 1, A. Galea , B. Vapenski 2, Da. Zammit , M. Zammit 2, K. Galea , C. Mercieca 3, B. Plumpton ,  A. Cousin 1,  P. Fava , D. Zammit 2, D. Camilleri

Sliema: R. Coleiro , J. Gabarretta 4, E. Aquilina 2, C. Cluett , M. Meli , J. Soler , K. Dowling , T. Sullivan , J. Brownrigg , A. Attard 1, M. Cuk  , N. Bugelli ,  Z. Sciberras

Referees: M. Dalli, F. Brasiliano

 

 

BOV 1 Div. League

M'xlokk avenge Cup defeat of a few days before

M'scala Nutrition Emoire     8     M'xlokk Fischer     12    

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

Just days before M'scala had won the opening honour of the season, the Sports Journalist Cup, at M'xlokk's expense, but this first league match between the same two sides had M'xlokk exacting sweet revenge, to signal their second league victory after that against Otters. M'scala had previously beaten ta Xbiex. M'xlokk were never behind in this encounter, as they managed to convert six times from their ten man up occasiona. Not so M'scala, who scored twice in seven attempts. M'scala also had coach, Pierre Borg, and Jean Claude Cutajar sent off. late in the match, as they were trailing their opponents.  The first session ended on an even score, after M'xlokk had taken a double advantage. Sean Meli, and two Brian Buhagiar goals for M'xlokk, and Joe Cremona and a brace form Gabor Kovacs for M'scala.  M'sxlokk took a decisive advantage in teh second session, as they netted five times, through Buhagiar, Meli, Claudio Spiteri de Barro and two Christian Gialanze goals. M'scala's only reply came from Cutajar, as m'xlokk were leading 8-4 at the interval.

After the break Ivan Basara and Ranier Scerri scored for M'xlokk, but in between Clde Bonello, Kovacs and matthew pace netted for M'scala, with M'xlokk still leading 10-7, going into the last period. Skipper, Gialanze added two more goals for M'xlokk, with Bonello scoring the last M'scala gaol, as M'xlokk emerged as victors, to go to the top of the standings.

M'scala: K. Schembri , JC Cutajar 1, J. Busuttil , C. Bonello 2, J. Bajada , L. Grixti ,

             G. Kovacs 3,  J. Cremona 1, S. Micallef , M. Pace 1, D. Cassar , O. Zammit   

             B. Dougall

M'xlokk: D. Abela , C. Spiteri de Barro 1, L. Calleja , K. Galea , C. Gialanze 4,

              C. Bugeja , S. Meli 2, I. Basara 1, B. Buhagiar 3, R. Scerri , K. Navarro ,

              GL Busuttil, N. Xuereb

Referees: R. Spiteri, F. Brasiliano