Sliema Betsson 8 Neptunes Grimaldi 8
(1-2, 2-4, 3-1, 2-1)
The match between the two league leaders, and intense rivals, left them still sharing the top position, but only after a split second decision, just before the start of the last minute of play. Sliema had battled back from a three goal deficit twice, in the previous two sessions of play, to draw level, but when Neptunes went a man up, there was Steve Camilleri who promptly shot home. Neptunes' supporters were celebrating, and the match was about to restart, when the officiating table drew the Italian referee's attention, to the fact that as soon as the Sliema player was ejected, the Neptunes' coach had called a time out, with the light bulb flashing on the table. The goal was disallowed, Neptunes did not profit from their man up, Sliema failed to score from their last possession, and the match ended in a tie.
Sliema had Mark Meli missing once more from their ranks, with Mark fenech taking his place. Neptunes had Mikhael Cutajar vice Luke Gialanze on their rotation of young players. Both sides failed miserably on their man ups, with Sliema netting just once from six, and Neptunes scoring twice from eight occasions, and missing their last four.
Cosmin radu shot Neptunes ahead, with Edward Aquilina putting Sliema on level terms. Before the end of the sessionSteve Camilleri scored his only goal of the match, and Neptunes were in front again. In the second period Timmy Agius, now a main stay in the side, had Neptunes on a double advantage. Alex attard reduced Sliema's deficit, but Jordan Camilleri restored neptunes two goal lead. Marco Cuk netted for Sliema, but Neptunes were the more enterprising side, and until the interval buzzer, they had scored twice more, through Jeremy Abela and Agius again, for a much better 6-3 advantage, halfway through the encounter.
After the break Sliema had Timmy Sullivan scoring from close range, but Radu again had Neptunes three goals ahead. Sliema strode forward in their quest to wipe out their arrears. Goals by Cuk and Aquilina had them just a goal behind, at 6-7. In the last session a Nicky Bugelli angled drive put Sliema level, but soon after Jordan Camilleri took Neptuned on another advantage. When Sliema were awarded a penalty, Cuk shot home, after the usual delays. Then came the sending off of the Sliema player, with the seemingly new Neptunes' lead, and subsequent nullified effort, with the match, played in front of a smaller than expected crowd, between these two great rivals, petering out in the tied score.
San Giljan can now go just behind the two leaders, if they manage to beat a much vitalised Valletta outfit, in their encounter today.
Sliema: R. Coleiro , J. Gabarretta , E. Aquilina 2, C. Cluett , K. Dowling , J. Soler , M. Fenech , T. Sullivan 1, J. Brownrigg , A. Attard 1, M. Cuk 3, N. Bugelli 1, Z. Sciberras
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole , N. Lanzon , C. radu 2, M. Cutajar , T. Agius 2, M. Lanzon S. Camilleri 1, J. Camilleri 2, J. Abela 1, M. Zammit , B. Lanzon , M. Azzopardi , M. Castillo
Referees: A. Goncharenko, V. Frauenfelder
Exiles Jetfreight 7 Sirens Ritter Sport 14
(1-2, 3-3, 2-5, 1-4)
Sirens garnered their first win in four matches, to ease away from bottom side, exiles, at the foot of the standings. Sirens made sure of the result after the interval, when they opened up a winning margin, to leave Exiles in their wake. A total of eight Sirens players ended up on the score sheet, as they came up trumps when with a man up. They missed the first two occasions, but then converted their next five. Not so exiles, who could only score once from their seven man ups. Gianni Ciappara took Luca Felice's place in the Exiles' ranks, and resereve goalie, Joseph Cremona, made way fro Matteo Muscat, for Sirens.
It was Exiles who forged ahead, in the opening session, through Andrea Bianchi, but goals by Marc Grech and Sergi Mora, had Sirens overturning the score. In the next period Gabriel Pace and Grech again, extended Sirens' advantage, with Milos Vukicevic netting for exiles. Mora had Sirens three in front once more, but till the interval Exiles' skipper, Kayne Lanzon scored a brace, for a closer score, with Sirens just 5-4 in front.
After the break Sirens let loose, and a poker of strikes, by Mora, Luke Caruana, John Napier and Matthew Balucci, left Exiles behind, but they rallied with strikes from Sean Gravina and Vukicevic, although they were still 6-10 behind, going into the last quarter. Sirens extended theri lead again, with Mora and Zak Mizzi goals, and although Vukicevic netted once more for Exiles, Mizzi and skipper, David Cutajar, had Sirens on a larger winning margin at the end of the encounter.
Sergi Mora ended with four goals, and Marc Grech netted three for Sirens. Milos Vukicevic scored a hat trick for Exiles.
Exiles: I. Bugeja , J. Rizzo Naudi , S. Vassallo , D. Pace Lupi , D. Borg Millo , E. Gravina , S. Gravina 1, K. Grixti , N. Paris , A. Bianchi 1, G. Ciappara , M. Vukicevic 3, K. Lanzon 2
Sirens: N. Grixti , Z. Mizzi 2, S. Mora 4, G. Pace 1, M. Grech 3, I. Riolo , M. Balucci 1, D. Cutajar 1, J. Napier1 , J. Sciberras , L. Caruana 1, N. Farrugia , M. Muscat
Referees: M. Dalli, M. Luciani