The final score may give the impression of a very east win for Sliema in the all-Sliema derby versus Exiles. However the latter fought very hard in the first half of the game and even managed to keep level with the score standing at 3-3 after 17 minutes of play.

However, in the last two sessions, Sliema took full control of the proceedings led very well by the foreign import, Hungarian Tamas Varrga who is well-known in the waterpolo world.

On the opposite end, Exiles introduced Frenchman Aurelien Cousin (who plays for Nice and is also the national team captain). Cousin was influential in the initial stages of the game but was then tightly marked as the game progressed.

Notwithstanding there were five man-ups (three in Sliema’s favour) in the first 8 minutes, the first session produced no goals.

An early Edward Aquilina goal was duly replied by Cousin’s first goal in Malta. On a Pace Lupi man-up, late in the session, Tamas Varga scored his first of six on the day but Cousin kept Exiles morale at a high when he beat Cachia with just 4 seconds before the change of ends.

Although Sliema again took the lead, just 37 seconds into the session, through a John Soler netting on a Calleja exclusion, John Paris duly equalised just 17 seconds later for a tight 3-3 score.

However the score changed drastically till the session’s end as Sliema scored six consecutive goals with Varga, Soler and Aquilina sharing the goals including two penalties.

The last session got off with Varga scoring another two goals so as to finish with a six-goal tally in the game.

The match was practically over although Exiles got a more respectable score with a David Pace Lupi brace.

Sliema : J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina 2, M. Rizzo, M. Meli, J. Soler 3, T. Varga 6, D. Paolella, C. Debono, F. Cutajar, J. Gabaretta, N. Lubrano, R. Coleiro.

Exiles: N. Imbroll, S. Cini, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi 2, S. Vassallo, G. Buttigieg, J. Paris 1, J. Cremona, K. Grixti, A. Cousin 2, A. Arrigo, A. Borg Cole, M. Calleja.

Refs: M. Dalli, R. Spiteri

* * *

Sirens Hard Rock Cafe 19

Ta Xbiex Mermaids Paradise 6

(7-1, 3-2, 5-2, 4-1)

Sirens cruised to a comfortable victory over Ta Xbiex, the latter parading veteran and ex-Sliema stalwart Marco Manara who also managed to score a nice goal on a Privitera man-up late in the second session.

The St. Paul’s Bay side opened a 7-0 lead after seven minutes of play even though Ta Xbiex could have opened the score in the early seconds but Galea Pace was too egoistic on a 2 v1 break.

Dorian Pisani (who scored a hat-trick for Ta Xbiex) scored a penalty late in the second session for a momentary 9-2 score and even though team-mates Manara and Galea Pace (nice diagonal lob from the left) scored other goals for Ta Xbiex, Sirens were still pounding at ease on the opposite end.

The last session was no exception as Karl Montfort notched his hat-trick whilst Jurgen Borg and David Cutajar shared four goals.

Sirens: A. Grech, R. Mock, K. Rizzo Naudi, P. Privitera 1, J. Rizzo Naudi,.R. Scerri, J. Borg 2, D. Cutajar 2, K. Montfort 3, C. Zammit 1, C. Mercieca 5, Z. Varga 5, E. Bonello.

Ta Xbiex: C. Sciortino, S. Meli 1, M. Manara 1, M. Galea Pace 1, C. D’Ugo, K. Sciortino, M. Camilleri, A. Tanti, A. Bianchi, K. Engerer, W. Privitera, J. Vella, D. Pisani 3.

Refs: P. Balzan, P. Giordano.