Sirens Ritter Sport     6     Neptunes Grimaldi     8

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

Neptunes overcame a tough obstacle, as they got the better of Sirens, who had held them to a  9-9 tie in their previous encounter. This time Neptunes had to withstand  some serious opposition, before they could break through, after the interval, and manage to subdue their adversaries.  Neptunes had Miguel Zammit back in the side, and also introduced a reserve custodian, Matteo Martellacci. Sirens netted three times from five man ups, and Neptunes had three occasions, converting two of them.

An only goal, by Sirens' Sergi Mora, separated the two sides after the opening session of play. Skipper, Niki Lanzon, struck three times for Neptunes in the next period, with Mora and captain, David Cutajar answering back for Sirens, with the two teams level, at 3-3, at the interval.

After the break Jeremy Abela had Neptunes ahead, with Mora again putting Sirens on level terma, but Neptunes were becoming the better side, and found more space in the opposing defence, to take a double advantage, with goals by the Camilleri brothers, Steve and Jordan, at 6-4. In teh alst quarter a Steve Camilleri penalty enhanced Neptunes' lead, with Mora pulling a goal back for Sirens. Cosmin radu again put Neptunes three goals in the lead, with Marc Grech netting for Sirens, but his side couldn't get any nearer, and Neptunes garnered all three points, to break clear in the top spot, although with a game more..

Niki Lanzon scored a hat trick for Neptunes, and Sergi Mora struck  four times for Sirens.

Sirens: N. Grixti , Z. Mizzi , S. Mora 4, G. Pace , M. Grech 1, I. Riolo ,

            M. Balucci , D. Cutajar 1, J. Napier ,  J. Sciberras , L. Caruana ,

            N. Farrugia , M. Muscat

Neptunes: A. Borg Cole , N. Lanzon 3, C. Radu 1, M. Cutajar , T. Agius ,

               M. Lanzon , S. Camilleri 2, J. Camilleri1 , J. Abela 1, M. Zammit ,

               B. Lanzon , M. Azzopardi , M. Martellacci

Referees: A. DeRaffaele, G. Nicolosi

 

Two decisive occasions give Saints three points

Sliema's John Soler reaches his 1000th career goal  

Sliema Betsson     7     San Giljan Salini Resort     12

(2-1, 2-4, 0-1, 3-6)

This encounter finished on a sour note, after it had promised much. Both sides couldn't afford to drop points, with neptunes winning before them. Sliema had the better start, but they were overtaken by the champions, who led by a single goal at the interval. Then Sliema failed to score from a penalty, after the break, and San Giljan doubled their lead at the other end. Sliema already had Alex attard and Timmy Sullivan missing. Mark Meli returned from injury, but stayed on the bench.  Edward Aquilina was fouled out, and there was more to come, as Jerome Gabarreta, on a Sliema man up, was ejected from the match, on brutality, and his side had to play for the remainder of the game with a player less, also conceding a penalty, converted by Boris Vapenski. The balance from then on was not so much in San Giljan's favour, as Sliema had skipper, John Sloer scoring his fourth goal, thus reaching his personal career record, of a thousand goals, and only gave away two goals, in more than four minutes of play, with a player less.

 Aquilina and Soler gave Sliema a double lead at the start, with Peter Borg cutting down on the arrears before the end of the sesison. Gabarretta again had Sliema two in front, in the second session, but Paul Fava and Clint Mercieca tied the score for the champions. Soler took Sliema to another advantage, with Vapenski and Fava overturning the score, as San Giljan  went 5-4 ahead at the interval.

After the break came Sliema's failure to tie the score , as marco Cuk's penalty was saved by Joseph Sammut, in the Saints' goal. In the resulting attack Matthew Zammit doubled San Giljan's lead. Sliema's Aquilina was fouled out, the champions went into the last session 6-4 in front. Soler pulled a goal back for Sliema, but Fava and Vapenski's first penalty extended San Giljan's advantage, Nicky Bugelli had a goal back for Sliema, with ben Plumpton restoring the Saints' three goal lead. Then came Gabarretta's red card, with no substitution, and Vapenski netted his sesond penalty. Soler scored his fourth, a 1000th career goal, for Sliema, and Plumpton was also shown a red card, after remarks passed to the Sliema's scorer. In the remaining time, the champions failed to score at first, even with a man more in play, but then managed to end the match with two two late strikes, by Darren Zammit and Keith galea, as the match finally came to an end.

Sliema: R. Coleiro , J. Gabarretta 1, E. Aquilina 1, C. Cluett , M. Meli ,

          J. Soler 4, M. Fenech , K. Dowling , J. Brownrigg , J. Gambin , M. Cuk ,

             N. Bugelli 1, Z. Sciberras

S. Giljan: J. Sammut , P. Borg 1, A. Galea , B. Vapenski 3, Da. Zammit 1,

              M. Zammit 1, K. Galea 1, C. Mercieca 1, B. Plumpton 1, A. Cousin ,

              P. Fava 3, D. Zammit , D. Camilleri

Referees: M. Angileri, A. Pascucci

 

                                           BOV 1 Div. League

M'xlokk now fully nine points in front

M'xlokk Fischer     20     Otters Nivea     7

(4-0. 5-1, 4-1, 7-5)

The league leaders ran riot against the bottom club, also galvanised by M'scala's surprise defeat, the day before, against Ta Xbiex. M'xlokk's runaway victory has now put them a total of nine points in front, in the standings. Otters were  with a different formation, as they introduced Matteo Cacici, loaned from Neptunes, with Christoph Martin playing his first match this season, and Steve Dimech returningm after missing two games through injury. Missing were ricky Greco, Gabriel Mizzi and Luca Peric.

M'xlokk made sure of teh match from the start, taking a four goal opening session advanatge, with Ranier Scerri and an Ivan Vuksanovic hat trick. In the next period they struck five more times, through Brian Buhagiar, a karl galea hat trick and Charles Bugeja. Luke Hyzler opened Otters' account, for a 9-1 M'xlokk halftime advantage.

After the breakboth sides put in their seconbd custodians, Nello Xuereb for M'xlokk and Matthew Xerri for the Gozitans. M'xlokk added on four more goals, by Claudio Spiteri de Barro, Scerri, Sean meli and Galea, with Hyzler again obtaining an Ottersl goal, for a 13-2 score. In the last quarter g there were goals galore, as both defences opened up. M'xlokk netted more goals, by Spiteri de Barro, four more times, twice by Gianluca Busuttil and another from Vuksanovic. The Gozitans had Marko Jelaka netting four times, the first from a penalty, with David Dimech also scoring for them.

M'xlokk: D. Abela , C. Spiteri de Barro 5, L. Calleja , K. Galea 4, C. Gialanze ,

              C. Bugeja 1, S. Meli 1, I. Vuksanovic  4, B. Buhagiar 1, R. Scerri 2,

              K. Navarro , GL Busuttil 2, N. Xuereb

Otters:  R. Bonnici , M. Borg Millo , M. Cacici , L. Hyzler 2, M. Borg ,

             D. Dimech1 , K. Scicluna , M. Jelaka 4, S. Dimech , G. Debono ,

             C. Martin , R. Gauci , M. Xerri

Referees: R. Magri, A. Pascucci

 

                                            BOV Premier League Standings

                    Neptunes Grimaldi             7      5     2     0     86     52   17

                    San Giljan Salini Resort     7      5     1     1     82     57   16

                    Sliema Betsson                   7      3     3     1     68     57   12

                    Valletta McDonalds           7      3     0     4     74     85     9                                                                                                                                                                                    

                    Sirens Ritter Sport              7     1     2     4     56     65     5    

                    Exiles Jetfreight                  7     0     0     7     56   106     0

 

 

BOV  1 Div.

BOV 1 Div. League Standings

                    M'xlokk Fischer                   7     7     0     0     99     54     21

                    M'scala Nutrition Empire     7     4     0     3     69     67     12

                    Ta Xbiex Amigos                 7     3     0     4     66     67       6

                    Otters Nivea                         7     0     0     7     55   101       0