SAN ĠILJAN TUM INVEST.....12

SLIEMA FRANK SALT.............7

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

San Ġiljan Tum Invest capped off a perfect season winning also the BOV knock-out defeating Sliema Frank Salt 12-7. It was a resounding win for the champions who finished the season by winning all their 25 games, winning all competitions, and cementing their place as one of the best ever teams.

Aleksandar Ivovic was again a protagonist, scoring in every session while leading his team with precise passes, while the other players complemented him with Matthew Zammit and Aurelien Cousin scoring beautiful goals. A big credit goes to their coach Marko Orlovic who managed to gel perfectly a team full of talent.

Photos Domenic Aquilina

Sliema on the other hand finished a disappointing season, ending empty-handed, finishing fourth in the league while failing to leave their mark in several games. The Sliema committee have to work hard to create a team that is capable of challenging seriously for the honours. Peter Decesare was in charge of the team in this game.

Sliema were only in the game during the first period as they took the lead from Jerome Gabarretta, and after Aleksandar Ivovic put San Ġiljan in front with two well-taken goals, Guillermo Molina equalised from penalty. But Aurelien Cousin finished a wonderful action to give his team a one-goal advantage at the end of the first session.

That advantage was consolidated in the second session, as like in the previous games, San Ġiljan dominated the second period, scoring four consecutive goals from four different players to finish the session 7-2 in front.

San Ġiljan were already in the driving seat and their job was only to control the game. They scored twice from Aleksandar Ivovic and Andreas Galea but Sliema managed to react in both occasions, to at least limit the damage.

The champions elevated their level again in the last session, scoring three times from Aurelien Cousin, Ben Plumpton and Aleksandar Ivovic to make the score 12-4. Sliema scored three late goals to make the score more respectable.

San Ġiljan captain Matthew Zammit received the trophy from the BOV Chief Officer Anthony Scicluna in the presence of the ASA President Joe Caruana Curran, as San Ġiljan celebrated yet another trophy.

It is the second time that all four waterpolo competitions were won by the same team. It was Sliema who did it the first time in 1998.

San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, P. Borg, A. Galea (1), B. Grech, J. Galea, M. Zammit (1), B. Plumpton (1), D. Zammit, A. Ivovic (5), A. Cousin (3), P. Fava, D. Zammit (1), T. Micallef

Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta (1), E. Aquilina, C. Cluett, G. Molina (3), K. Dowling, M. Spiteri Staines, L. Galea, J. Gambin (2), M. Meli (1), Z. Mizzi, B. Cachia, Z. Sciberras

Referees: Peter Balzan, Adrian Alexandrescu

 

Birżebbuġa win the first division knock-out after extra time

MARSAXLOKK FISCHER............10

BIRŻEBBUĠA ASC.....................11

(after extra time)

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

After a 21 year absence, Birżebbuġa returned to winning honours in the local waterpolo scene defeating Marsaxlokk Fischer 11-10 after extra time. A splendid way for them to end a season that was already positive, and this honour was the cherry on the cake for the team under the guidance of the Italian Marco Risso.

Marsaxlokk failed to produce a champions performance as they couldn’t get an early lead to control the game. They had twice a two-goal advantage but couldn’t hold on as Birżebbuġa were always responding.

Marsaxlokk managed to win the first session 2-1 after Brian Buhagiar and Rainier Scerri cancelled Malcolm Manara’s opener. Birżebbuġa went again in front in the second session with two goals by David Pace Lupi and Sergi Mora but Zeljko Kovacic equalised for Marsaxlokk.

Ayrton Camenzuli gave his team the advantage again, but Marsaxlokk scored three times to go 6-4 in front in a period where they seemed to control the game, and ended the session with a one-goal lead after Mora scored from penalty.

Marsaxlokk reacted after Pace Lupi’s equaliser and were again with a two-goal advantage, but Birżebbuġa were brave enough to stay in the game and equalised from Ayrton Camenzuli and Simon Vassallo to put the game into extra-time.

Birżebbuġa looked more determined in the two periods of three minutes, and they were never in disadvantage. Marsaxlokk managed to recover from two goals down, but had no response to Sergi Mora’s goal.

After the end of the game, the Chief Officer of BOV Peter Perotti in the presence of ASA President Joe Caruana Curran presented the trophy to the captain Neil Cassar amid deserved celebrations.

Birżebbuġa: D. Abela, M. Manara (1), S. Mora (4), D. Pace Lupi (3), A. Camenzuli (2), A. Sammut, S. Vassallo (1), N. Cassar, G. Farrugia, M. Caruana, K. Rizzo Naudi, K. Gauci, M. Risso

Marsaxlokk: A. Xuereb, C. Spiteri Debarro (2), L. Calleja (1), M. Cacici, C. Gialanze, C. Bugeja, S. Meli (1), Z. Kovacic (3), B. Buhagiar (1), R. Scerri (2), K. Lanzon, L. Gialanze, R. Bonnici

Referees: Massimo Angileri, Massimo Calabrò