For the second successive week, leaders Exiles featured in a 13-13 draw as they now opened a one point lead in the standings. Marsaxlokk are surely kicking themselves for not winning this match as they had separate 5 and 3 goal leads along the encounter.

The first session ended with the southerners 3-0 in the lead as they had a brace from Belorussian Sergey Frolov, in the 3rd and 4th minute respectively, and a Simon Cachia strike midway in the 7th minute on a Cremona exclusion. The latter had two personal fouls early in the game but Marsaxlokk scored only one of three man-ups they had in the initial 8 minutes of play. Exiles missed on an early Ghirxi exclusion although Marsaxlokk’s guardian, Bonnici, made a number of good saves.

Marsaxlokk’s positive momentum continued until the 10th minute as they moved to a 5-0 lead after George Attard scored off a Bugeja assist and, shortly afterwards, Frolov broke clear and, after receiving from Schembri, netted his personal hat-trick.

However Exiles staged a complete comeback in the space of four and a half minutes.

Martin Calleja ended Exiles’ goal drought with a diagonal lob off the left post.

The same player grabbed his brace as did John Paris before Alan Arrigo made it a 5-5 game when he received an assist from Rizzo Naudi on a Cachia exclusion.

However the session ended with Glen Ghirxi scoring for M’Xlokk with a nice bounce shot off the crossbar.

The third session had two facets. Initially, Marsaxlokk opened a 3-goal lead at 9-6 with Charles Bugeja grabbing a brace (the first from the right and the second on a break) and Attard netting his second goal on the day, albeit with a deviated shot. In between, Paris scored his third from the right.

Once again Exiles clawed back and even momentarily took the lead. Aureline Cousin made it 9-7 off a Paris assist on a 2 v 1 break and then Karl Rizzo Naudi scored on a Cachia exclusion. Early in the last minute Paris broke after Marsaxlokk missed a man-up and coolly scored the equaliser.

Timmy Sullivan scored from over 10 metres with just 2 seconds to go but incredibly Frolov replied at the restart with a shot from 16 metres to Imbroll’s right.

Midway into the final session Anthony Farrugia’s side went on another 3-0 run with further goals from Frolov (who scored his double hat-trick with a brace) and Attard respectively and seemed ready to close the game but Exiles had other thoughts as they came back to equalise 48 seconds from the end. Rizzo Naudi scored an identical goal to his first and then Paris notched his nap-hand. Sullivan scored the final equaliser on an Attard exclusion.

Despite both team’s efforts, neither team could score the eventual winner in the dying seconds.

Exiles: N. Imbroll, K. Rizzo Naudi 2, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi, T. Sullivan 2, G. Desira Buttigieg, J. Paris 5, J. Cremona, K. Griscti, A. Cousin 1, A. Arrigo 1, A. Borg Cole, M. Calleja 2.

M’Xlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia 1, N. Agius, A. Farrugia, K. Farrugia, C. Bugeja 2, E. Pisani, D. Schembri, S. Frolov 6, K. Grima Scott, G. Ghirxi 1, G. Attard 3, A. Sammut.

Refs: M. Dalli, A. Deraffaele