Depiro  58

Gzira Athleta     46    

(12-13, 17-15, 12-14, 17-4)

 

Willie Vassallo

Fresh from winning the opening two seasonal honours and after beating Depiro twice in the Shield, Athleta were set to open up their league campaign on a winning note.

It was not to be as Depiro produced a creditable performance and after standing their ground for three whole sessions not allowing Athleta to open up a sound advantage it was Depiro to strike the killing blows in the last period and leave their opponents flustered to the point that they were bickering with each other.

Depiro thus forgot their dismal showing against Starlites in their opening league match and Athleta have to pick themselves up again. Depiro had Andrea Mifsud and Tina Maciej missing but recovered skipper Maria Bonett.

Depiro replied to Athleta's opening hoop but Athleta made up a 9-0 run as amelia Simmons put in early points. Depiro reacted with a 9-2 run of their own with Alexis Lloyd sinking a triple and Athleta's lead was whittled down to a single point.

In the next period Beverlee Zammit netted her usual trey but Depiro were focussed and put in an 8-2 run to slip in front. Athleta tied the score on three occasions then forged ahead only for Depiro to overturn the score and end the session and go in at the interval on a slight 29-28 advantage.

After the break, Depiro netted two quick hoops but Athleta remedied that with an 8-2 run. Depiro were level again but a three hoop spread took athleta on another advantage. Late points had Depiro just behind with Athleta holding a 42-41 advantage going into the last quarter.

Inexplicably Athleta just fell away allowing Depiro to notch up their points. A 9-0 Depiro run was quickly followed by another 8-0 one and Athleta were left behind.

They could only manage four measly points and never had any hope of making up any sort of leeway with Depiro taking their revenge on their two previous losses to the same adversaries.

Depiro:  T. Mifsud , C. Camilleri 4, M. Bonett 16, S. DeMartino 8, N. Agius 5, A. Lloyd 14, J. Xuereb, C. Ciantar 11

Athleta:  B. Zammit 3, L. Duncan 8, A. Simmons 21, D. Said Hollier, A. Borg 6,  J. Schembri, S. Vella 8, E. Pace,  C. Mifsud

Referees:  B. Vassallo, J. Cole, K. Dworniczak