Reigning champions Sirens registered a fine win over rivals Sliema even though the end margin was of three goals. The St. Paul’s Bay side were technically superior in their tactics as Sliema were not consistent in breaking their opponents’ zone covering whilst Sirens managed to do so and caught Sliema’s custodian Cachia off–position a number of times.
Both sides started on a high note netting their first three respective man-ups. The first session ended 3-2 for the winners after Hungarian Tamas Marcz converted a penalty after a Bianchi foul on Cassar.
Sirens went 4-2 in the lead after a very controversial goal netted by Paul Privitera on a Debono exclusion when Privitera was evidently inside the 5 metre mark when he shot directly on a foul.
Sliema did reply through a Francesco Cutajar man-up goal but Sirens netted twice in the next two minutes with goals from Jonathan Valletta (a diagonal precise shot) and a low 9 metre shot from Charles Zammit.
Hungarian powerhouse Tibor Benedek scored a beauty off a foul but Mercieca restored Sirens’ three goal lead when his shot rebounded off the post and Cachia’s head. Marcz displayed more of his immense potential when he surprised Cachia off a foul in the second minute of the third session.
After Sliema were denied what seemed a penalty, they reduced the gap through a Clint Debono lob but despite Benedek’s second two minutes later, Sirens hit hard and further goals from Cutajar, Marcz and Mercieca made it an impressive but merited 11-6 lead a session from the end.
Benedek scored his poker and Cutajar scored his second man-up goal for a more respectable Sliema scoreline.
Sliema: J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina, M. Rizzo, M. Meli, J. Soler 1, D. Paollela, T. Benedek 4, C. Debono 1, F. Cutajar 2, G. Lubrano, A. Bianchi, R. Coleiro.
Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, A. Grech, N. Cassar, P. Privitera 2, C. Zammit 1, J. Valletta 1, J. Borg, D. Cutajar 1, K. Montfort, T. Marcz 4, C. Mercieca 2, R. Attard, N. Cassar
Referees: M. Angileri, P. Balzan
Exiles RMF 10
Marsaxlokk Freeport 4
(2-0, 1-0, 4-2, 3-2)
Exiles made another bold step towards a possible top four placing when they beat Marsaxlokk
Exiles showed more tenacity and managed to forge 2-0 ahead trough goals from their captain Joe Cremona and John Paris.
Calleja then grabbed the only goal in the middle of the second session.The southerners finally broke the deadlock in the third session when Charles Bugeja converted their third man-up in the game. However the game went definitely Exiles’ way when they replied instantly with three goals in less than 90 seconds through David Pace Lupi, a scorcher from 9 metres by Gerben Silvis and Paris’ brace, again on a break after M’Xlokk messed blatantly a man-up.
Both sides then increased their tally in the final 10 minutes with Calleja registering his hat-trick for the winners whilst Sergey Frolov also grabbing three goals, one from the 5 metre penalty mark.
Exiles: N. Imbroll, J. Cuschieri, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi 1, T. Sullivan 1, G. Desira Buttigieg, J. Paris 2, J. Cremona 2, J. Tabone, S. Gravina, G. Silvis 1, A. Arrigo, M. Calleja 3.
Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia, D. Debono, C. Bugeja 1, E. Pisani, S. Cutajar, S. Frolov 3, D. Cassar, J. Vella, K. Grima Scott.
Referees: A. Deraffaele, P. Giordano.