M'xlokk Fischer     9     M'scala Nutrition Empire     8

(5-2, 0-3, 2-0, 2-3)

M'xlokk, already champions, three games from the end, registered their eleventh consecutive victory, for a possible en plein, in their last league encounter. This was their fourth win over their adversaries, on the trot. They led from start to finish, but M'scala ran them close for quite some time, but their last goal came only seconds from the end, with M'xlokk just keeping possession, to emerge winners. They converted two from their seven man ups, with M'scala netting only once from five. M'xlokk had the one change, with Kyle Debattista playing in lieu of Kyle Navarro. M'scla opted to include the tender aged Kyle Cremona in their line up.

The champions raced into an early three goal advantage, with strikes by Ivan Vuksanovic, Claudio Spiteri de Barro and Sean Meli. M'scla were back with a brace of goals, from Jean Claude Cutajar and Gabor Kovacs. M'xlokk restored their three goal lead, through Karl Galea and Vuksanovic. In teh second period M'scala were on level terms, with Clyde Bonello, Stephen Micallef and Matthew Pace goals. Both teams failed in their man ups, and the interval had the two sides on a 5-5 score.

After the break Vuksanovic put M'xlokk ahead once more. M'scala had a great occasion to tie the score, but Gabor Kovacs saw his penalty well saved by Nello Xuereb, in the M;xlokk goal. To make matters worse for M'scala, they suffered another goal, as Vuksanovic converted his penalty, at the other end, and the champions went into the last session on a 7-5 double advantage. Galea increased M'xlokk's lead, but M'scala returnes, and Duncan Cassar and Kovacs had them just a goal behind. Spiteri de barro lobbed in his second goal, for M'xlokk, and M'scala's reply, with a second strike by Cassar, came too late, with just five seconds left for play.

M'xlokk: N. Xuereb , C. Spiteri de Barro 2, L. Calleja , K. Galea 2, C. Gialanze ,C. Bugeja , S. Meli 1, I. Vuksanovic 4, B. Buhagiar , R. Scerri , K. Debattista , D. Abela

M'scala: K. Schembri , JC Cutajar1 , C. Bonello 1, K. Cremona ,  L. Grixti , G. Kovacs 2, J. Cremona , S. Micallef 1, M. Pace 1, D. Cassar2 , O. Zammit , B. Dougall

Referees: M. Dalli, M. Ruscica

 

BOV 1 Div. League

Ta Xbiex dramatic winner brings vehement Otters' protests

Ta Xbiex Amigos     13     Otters Nivea     12  

(4-4, 2-3, 0-3, 7-2)

The Gozitans were well on their way to their first points of the season, as they led their opponents by four goals, at the start of the last session, but a good Ta Xbiex rally pipped them at the end. This brought about great protests from the Otters clan, who had contented that Marko Jelaca's disallowed strike, just seconds before, for encroaching into the six metre zone, was valid. The net result was two red cards, for protests, for the Otters' coach, Paul Dimech, and player, Michael Borg Millo. This came about less than a second from the final buzzer. Ta Xbiex rotated their goalies once more, with Jurgen Micallef starting the match, but Jake Tanti went in goal after the interval. Otters again had Steve Dimech missing, but included Christian Theuma. Ta Xbiex were awarded only one man up, which they scored. Otters managed three goals from five man ups.

Ta Xbiex went twice in front, with Adam maklari goals, but the Gozitans retaliated, with two Marko Jelaca strikes and another from Karl Scicluna, to forge ahead. A Maklari penalty and another goal by Michele Mifsud, had Ta Xbiex ahead, with Matteo Cacici tying the score for Otters. In the second session it was Otters twice going in front, with Cacici and Ryan Gauci goals. Ayrton Camenzuli and Ben Grech replied for Ta Xbiex, but till the interval it was Jelaca to give the Gozitans another advantage, at &-6.

After the break Otters extended their lead with another trio of goals, from Gabriel Mizzi, and another brace by Jelaca, for a seemingly comfortable 10-6 score. Ta Xbiex reacted well, at the start of the last quarter, as David Fenech, Maklari and Jerome Zerafa Gregory had them only a goal in arrears. Georg Debono doubled the Goziutans' lead, but Camenzuli scored again for Ta Xbiex. A penalty goal by Jelaca, late in the match, augured the first points for Otters, but it was not to be. Mifsud and fenech obtained the necessary goals, to tie the score. Then came the contested Jelaca disallowed strike. Only three seconds remained, but they were enough for Maklari to lob gracefully into the Otters goal, and grab victory for Ta Xbiex, literally stealing the match away from the Gozitans, given the outcome of the encounter, and the loss of Otters' solid advantage.

Ta Xbiex: J. Micallef , A. Maklari 5, A. Camenzuli 2, B. Grech 1, E. Meli ,

                K. Mock , M. Mifsud 2, J. Zerafa Gregory 1, G. Attard , D. Fenech 2,

                R. Attard , M. Camilleri , J. Tanti

Otters:  R. Bonnici , M. Borg Millo , B. Grech , L. Hyzler , K. Scicluna 1, 

             D. Dimech , G. Mizzi 1, M. Jelaka 6, C. Theuma , G. Debono 1, R. Gauci 1,

             M. Cacici 2, M. Xerri

Referees: S. Licari, L. Bianco

 

BOV 1 Div. League Standings

 

                    M'xlokk Fischer                 11   11     0     0   155      89     33

                    M'scala Nutrition Empire   11     6     0     5   115   117     18

                    Ta Xbiex Amigos               11     5     0     6   112   107     15

                    Otters Nivea                       11     0     0   11     91   160       0