Sliema Burger King 16

Marsascala Breakers 8

(3-1, 3-3, 5-0, 5-4)

Sliema ended their preliminary round ordeal with a deserved win, as fully expected, over Marsascala to continue sailing on a high morale following last week's fine showing against arch-rivals Neptunes and also winning the Sports Writers Cup in the process.

The Blues' supremacy started emerging clearly in the final two sessions after Marsascala had battled bravely in the second session and shared the six goals scored in these eight minutes.

Hungarian powerhouse Tibor Benedek was in a class of his own in certain moments and he also managed to score seven goals in this game, with a double hat-trick after just 24 minutes of play.

Macedonian Sasko Popovski led the greens' onslaught in the first half of the game and even scored a hat-trick, similar to team-mate Darren Ciappara.

At the end of the match, Charles Camenzuli and Mr. Mario Meli, president and treasurer respectively, of the Sportswriters Association, presented the main trophy to Sliema's captain Clint Debono.

Sliema: J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina, M. Rizzo 2, M. Meli 2, J. Soler 4, D. Paollela 1, T. Benedek 7, C. Debono, F. Cutajar, G. Lubrano, A. Bianchi, R. Coleiro.

M'Scala: I. Bugeja, J. Cutajar, S. Farrugia, J. Cachia, P. Borg, S. Popovski 3, P. Fava 1, L. Griscti, S. Micallef, M. Fava 1, M. Borg, L. Sammut, D. Ciappara 3.

Refs: M. Angileri, P. Giordano

Neptunes Vodafone 7

Sirens 2X 6

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

Neptunes managed to return to winning ways and also led to a situation where the three top clubs will enter into the second phase on an equal footing as this was Sirens' first defeat.

It was a fine team showing by the Neptunes' clan, with good defensive zone covering. The reds did waste some easy chances and were thwarted off, time and again, by an excellent Joe Caruana Dingli in the Sirens' goal, but had a great psychological leader in Croatian veteran Dubravko Simenc who not only impressed with his personal poker of goals but also in the way he defended to the full the respective foreign import Tamas Marcz.

Goalkeeper Niki Gouder had a top class performance and was instrumental in lowering Sirens' morale when the latter managed to break the reds' zone.

As from the early stages, it was highly evident that it was going to be a tactical affair and a bit shorn of constant spectacle.

It was three apiece at the change of ends and total balance in the water.

The first step towards Neptunes' win arrived a second from the end of the third sesson when Steve Camilleri scored on a foul to put his team 5-4 in the lead. This lead increased to a maximum of 7-4 when Simenc, whose future was being discussed this week after there were talks of a possible Frolov move to Balluta Bay from Marsaxlokk, scored two consecutive scorcher goals in the first 124 seconds of the last session.

Neptunes did their utmost to administer this lead and Sirens' could only start clawing back in the late stages of the game with two man-up goals from Jurgen Borg and Paul Privitera, the latter coming only nine seconds from the final horn.

Neptunes' skipper, Niki Lanzon, was presented with the President's Cup by the ASA president Robbie Ebejer at the end of the match.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon, T. Agius, D. Simenc 4, E. Cachia, J. Brownrigg, S. Camilleri 2, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, K. Galea 1, A. Sammut, M. Stellini, M. Pisani.

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, T. Debono, N. Cassar, P. Privitera 1, C. Zammit, J. Valletta, J. Borg 2, D. Cutajar 1, K. Montfort 1, T. Marcz, C. Mercieca 1, R. Attard, A. Grech.

Refs: I. Sciriha, P. Balzan