Neptunes V 9
Sirens HRC 8
(4-1, 0-3, 3-2, 2-2)
This game between two teams who were sharing the second place in the standings and also valid for the 2007 Presidents’ Cup was decided dramatically with a last-gasp winner, just half a second from time, by Steve Camilleri with a powerful 6 metre shot directed straight to the left corner behind Alan Grech’s post.
The game looked set for a draw (for championship purposes) and extra time to make known who would take home the Presidents’ Cup but an Afric time-out, seven seconds from time, led to Neptunes last positive offence.
This result placed Neptunes alone in the second place, two points behind rivals Sliema whilst Sirens are now four points adrift of the leaders. Who knows whether this last second winner might also prove influential for the final standings at the end of the league?
Although Sirens opened the score (for their only lead in the game) through Hungarian Zsolt Varga, Neptunes replied strongly so as to end the first session 4-1 in the lead.
Captain Niki lanzon equalised and then Michele Stellini made it 2-1 with a low shot off the left post.
With Niki Gouder effecting good saves in the Neptunes’ post, the reds had a Steve Camilleri, the first on a Privitera exclusion and the second off a Lanzon assist.
However Neptunes had to wait almost 15 minutes to beat Grech once again. In the meantime Sirens had made a total comeback with a 3-0 score in the second session. Karl Montfort scored with a delicate lob and then Clint Mercieca scored twice for a 4-4 game at the change of ends.
Midway into the third session Lanzon put the reds once again in the lead and just 19 seconds later, after Sirens hit the post, Neptunes broke clear and S. Camilleri made it 6-4.
The Balluta side could have, once again, opened up a 3-goal margin when they won a penalty after a Fava foul on Brownrigg but Ivan Milakovic had his 5 metre free shot thwarted by Grech with a fine save to his left.
This raised Sirens’ morale and Julian Rizzo Naudi scored the side’s fifth and then Mercieca registered his hat-trick with a goal on a Milakovic exclusion.
The third session ended with Lanzon’s hat-trick with a nice back-hand goal from the centre.
Seventy seconds into the final session Zsolt Varga equalised after a choral move by Sirens.
A minute later Neptunes had a chance of a 2 v1 break and here Matthew Pisani had great vision as he saw Grech swimming out of his posts, to block an eventual pass to the free centre, and coolly shot the ball into the open net.
The next four minutes were a tense affair until Jurgen Borg made it an 8-8 game with a goal 49 seconds from time on a Galea exclusion.
Both sides missed a respective offence (with Sirens maybe hurrying too much on theirs which could have lasted till the end of the game) before Neptunes’ final time-out and dramatic last-gasp winner which brought great joy amongst the reds’ squad and their supporters on the stands.
After the match, Neptunes were presented with the Presidents’ Cup by Mr. Tony Debono on behalf of the Community Chest Fund.
Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 3, G. Sammut, K. Galea, J. Brownrigg, I. Milakovic, S. Camilleri 4, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, S. Gravina, R. Sciortino, M. Stellini 1, M. Pisani 1.
Sirens: A. Grech, P. Fava, K. Rizzo Naudi, P. Privitera, J. Rizzo Naudi 1, R. Attard, J. Borg 1, D. Cutajar, K. Montfort 1, C. Zammit, C. Mercieca 3, Z. Varga 2, E. Arrigo.
Refs: P. Balzan, A. Deraffaele.
Sliema McDonalds 15
San Giljan Zara 7
(4-2, 2-2, 3-2, 6-1)
Sliema ended their first round commitments with another win, this time beating San Giljan (who sacked coach Silvestri along the week and were led by former club product Ian Azzopardi) and also winning the 2007 Sportwriters’ Cup.
The Blues eventually ran out easy winners after the Saints gave good opposition till the 22nd minute with the score 7-5.
Two goals within 17 seconds of each other in the last minute of the first session gave Sliema a two goal lead, 4-2 after that san Giljan had twice taken the lead in the initial stages.
In fact the Saints opened the score in the first minute when they won a penalty for a Debono foul on Matthew Zammit and Serbian player Marco Cuk beat Josie Cachia from 5 metres.
Hungarian Tamas Varga scored his first of three in the first session in the fourth minute when he beat Dean Camilleri immediately off a foul. However San Giljan regained the lead a minute later when with Aquilina excluded, Claudio Spiteri de Barro, from close range, was quick to pounce on a rebound.
Less than 20 seconds later Sliema won a penalty for a Borg foul on Soler and Varga made it 2-2, with the resulting free shot, off the left post.
The same player made it both 3 for Sliema and himself when he scored once again off a foul late in the session. Yet, with San Giljan quickly committing an offensive foul, the Blues once again had possession and John Soler made it a 4-2 first session score with a shot over Camilleri’s head.
Four goals were shared in the second session with the Saints twice reducing the margin to one goal. Cuk scored with a lob to the left corner from 8 metres but Sliema replied also with a lob, this time with neo-signing Jonathan Valletta scoring his first summer league goal for his new club.
Just 15 seconds later San Giljan again reduced the margin when Matthew Zammit, despite Debono’s defence, scored from the centre position.
However, after Varga intelligently won a Zammit exclusion despite San Giljan’s protests, Soler grabbed his brace to make it 6-4 at the change of ends.
Both sides missed a respective man-up early in the third session with the Saints missing on a Varga exclusion whilst Sliema missed a double man-up situation with Cuk and Cachia excluded (good saves by Camilleri in this instance).
Valletta, on the right, beat Lanzon’ s marking and scored a nice goal in the fifth minute.
San Giljan made it 7-5 a minute later when they had a double man-up situation (Soler and Valletta excluded) and John Xerri de Caro beat Cachia.
Sliema made a giant step towards victory when thet scored twice in 28 seconds, first when Valletta surprised Camilleri from some 7 metres and then Edward Aquilina scored from the left.
Late in the third session Anthony Galea reduced the margin for the Saints with a low shot to Cachia’s right.
The last session was a clean sweep by the blues as they dominated the action winning it at 6-1.
Valletta registered his personal poker early on and although Zammit scored on the opposite end, Sliema closed the game with a 5-0 run. Soler scored twice, the first from the centre, Varga added another (so that both he and Soler joined team-mate Valletta on four goals) and then very altruistically passed the ball to Aquilina on a 2 v 1 break and then Michael Rizzo closed the game on 15-7 after a break on the right.
After the game, Sliema’s captain, Clint Debono, was presented with the Sportwriters’ Cup by Mr. Mario Meli.
Sliema: J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina 2, M. Rizzo 1, M. Meli, J. Soler 4, T. Varga 4, J. Valletta 4, C. Debono, F. Cutajar, D. Paolella, A. Bianchi, R. Coleiro.
San Giljan: D. Camilleri, C. Spiteri de Barro 1, A. Galea 1, C. Bonello, E. Cachia, M. Zammit 2, M. Cuk 2, J. Bonnici, K. Schembri, M. Pace, S. Borg, J. Xerri De Caro 1, K. Lanzon.
Refs: I. Sciriha, M. Caruana.
Exiles kept their fifth place in the first round standings when they easily beat Otters even if the latter managed to bring home a respectable score especially after they won the last session 3-0 when Exiles were already home and dry.