Sliema: J. Cachia, D. Paolella, E. Aquilina 2, S. Meli, M. Meli 2, J. Soler 2, J. Paris 1, K. Engerer, C. Debono 1, F. Cutajar 1, R. Coleiro, R. Scerri, A. Bianchi.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 2, S. Camilleri, K. Galea, E. Cachia 2, J. Brownrigg, S. Gravina, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, N. Agius, A. Sammut, M. Stellini 5, M. Pisani 1.

Refs: M. Di Chiara, P. Balzan

Neptunes, led by a superb performance from Michele Stellini (five goals in the game) and Nicky Gouder, kept on their good late seasonal patch by winning the second major local honour. Their joy was amplified as they had the better of arch rivals Sliema and in so doing made it two major wins over the blues in a matter of eight days.

The final was followed by a very big, colourful and noisy crowd. The spectators witnessed a highly tense, but interesting encounter, a game which had various facets but finally won by the team that made the fewer mistakes.

Neptunes had a great patch in the second session going 6-3 ahead but Sliema replied with great character and even managed to open a 9-7 lead six minutes from the end.

This was their moment and they could have wrapped the match but they messed a number of balls whilE Neptunes came back strongly, equalised and even went ahead with a gem of a goal from one of their major heroes, Michele Stellini, two and a half minutes from the end.

The game got off with a high tempo and in fact the first session had five goals with Neptunes, despite messing three man-ups, out-pipping their rivals with one goal.

Neptunes had Steve Camilleri on two early personal fouls after he was sent off but remained in the match. Thus Sliema won a penalty and John Soler placed the ball to Gouder’s right.

However Neptunes’ reply came just 19 seconds later when Edward Cachia concluded from close range.

The latter was excluded late in the fifth minute and Francesco Cutajar was quick to pounce on a blocked shot and put the ball into the Neptunes’ net.

Sliema could have extended their lead but Aquilina hit the crossbar on a break. On the opposing end, Nicky Lanzon equalised when he beat Sliema’s zone defence with a low seven-metre shot.

Half a minute from the session’s end Michele Stellini put Neptunes in the lead when faced again with a zone defence he scored with a powerful bounce shot.

The second session also ended 3-2 for the reds so that midway in the game, Sergio Afric’s (who returned to Malta for the match) side had a 6-4 lead.

Youngster Mark Meli made it 3-3 with a diagonal shot after 68 seconds.

Yet Neptunes, buoyed also by good saves by custodian Nicky Gouder, scored three consecutive goals through Edward Cachia and a brace, in just 23 seconds, from Stellini (one goal helped also by a floating balloon in the water!).

Edward Aquilina reduced the deficit for the Blues before the session’s end after an offence that took over a minute.

The third session was a marathon as the game stopped for over 10 minutes, five seconds from the end due to different decisions by the referees. With Neptunes leading 7-6 (Lanzon had made it 7-4 earlier only to have Sliema replies through Mark Meli and John Paris), Di Chiara whistled a penalty for the Reds whereas Peter Balzan judged (what seemed to be the case from the press box) a ball-under. After long discussions the ball was awarded to Sliema.

The first two minutes were all Sliema as the Blues scored three goals in a matter of 53 seconds with their goalkeeper Cachia making good saves. Soler, Aquilina and Clint Debono steered Sliema to a 9-7 lead and the game seemed to be going to the Tower Road team.

Yet Stellini and Matthew Pisani took the responsibility in these delicate moments and managed to equalise, while Sliema messed a couple of good opportunities.

Stellini crowned a wonderful performance which he will surely remember for a long time with a great goal, off the left upright, a goal that resulted to be the winner as Sliema could not beat Gouder in their final attempts.

The Neptunes clan greatly celebrated this victory and erupted when Niki Lanzon received the Wilkinson Sword KO trophy from Mr Simon Debono, who represented the new sponsors of the ASA.

Memorable double for San Giljan

San Giljan FC 9

M’xlokk Freeport 5

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

San Giljan: D. Camilleri, J. Spiteri, K. Lanzon 1, K. D’Ugo 1, C. Bonello 1, G. Ghirxi, M. Zammit 2, I. Azzopardi 1, M. Pace, G. Farrugia 1, A. Borda, S. Borg 1, K. Grima Scott 1.

Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia 1, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia 1, N. Kerr, C. Bugeja 2, C. Jones, S. Cutajar, K. Incorvaja, M. Fava 1, D. Cassar, M. Cutajar, G. Zammit.

Refs: I. Sciriha, M. Caruana

San Giljan, as fully expected, overcame the challenge offered by Marsaxlokk so as to win the KO competition and thus also make it a double of honours this season after manging to win the second category league championship last week.

Southerners Marsaxlokk managed to keep in touch in the first session which ended level at 1-1 but from then onwards, the Saints took control of the match proceedings and gradually opened a healthy lead.

It was only in the latter minutes of the game that M’Xlokk managed to register a more respectable scoreline.

Both teams were quite weak in man-ups and only obtained goals in the last session with the Saints scoring two from five whereas M’Xlokk had a solitary goal from six man-ups.

At the end of the game, Silvio Borg received the trophy although unfortunately there was a small scuffle between opposing players before the presentation.