Neptunes managed to grab an expected win over neighbours San Giljan to return to a solitary top spot in the standings with a 2-point buffer over arch-rivals Sliema. These two crowd-pulling teams will now meet in the league’s final match next Saturday where the pressure will be on Sliema as the blues have to win so as to force an eventual decider whilst Neptunes may even afford to draw as that would crown them as back-to-back champions.

San Giljan staged a symbolic protest during the team’s presentation when only the captain Silvio Borg went on the catwalk. According to a press release issued by San Giljan, this was done as a protest for the decision taken by the Tribunal to suspend their player Matthew Zammit for 2 matches as the team holds this decision was based on a totally false reconstruction of the facts that actually happened, during the Sliema vs. San Giljan match, given by the referee I. Sciriha.

The Saints have every right to contest this decision as the brutality foul is a judgmental and subjective decision but surely they should count themselves quite lucky, due to what seems to have been a lack of a referee’s report, for coming out practically unscathed from being disciplined for the very unsporting incidents that occurred after the brutality foul was called in last week’s match.

The Balluta derby got off to a quiet start with both goalkeepers effecting good saves early in the match and one had to wait till late in the 7th minute for the first goal scored by left-handed Michele Stellini on a Galea man-up.

The Saints duly replied 20 seconds later when Claudio Spiteri de Barro equalised on a D. Camilleri man-up.

The session ended 2-1 for the reds, without starting centre-man Karl Galea for the rest of the season, as Serb Vladimir Vujasinovic beat Schembri off the crossbar.

Neptunes took the upper hand in the second session as they moved to an 8-4 lead midway into the game.

After Marco Cuk, with a 6 metre shot, replied to an early Niki Lanzon strike off a rebound, Neptunes stormed to a 4-0 run with three goals from Steve Camilleri and a further goal from captain Lanzon.

Late in the session, Vujasinovic added another for Sergio Afric’s side in between goals from Cuk (a nice bounce shot) and Anthony Galea at the opposite end.

The Saints, who had Dean Camilleri taking Schembri’s place in goal, managed to win the third session 2-1 through man-up goals from Kayne Lanzon and De Barro respectively with the latter grabbing his brace. Stellini notched a goal for Neptunes in between.

The fourth session went Neptunes’ way as they scored four goals without a reply from the saints. Two of the goals came form penalties with S. Camilleri registering his nap-hand, Lanzon his hat-trick and John Brownrigg closing the game at 13-6.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 3, J. Camilleri, M. Stellini 2, J. Brownrigg 1, V. Vujasinovic 2, S. Camilleri 5, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, S. Gravina, R. Sciortino, G. Sammut, M. Pisani.

San Giljan: K. Schembri, C. Spiteri de Barro 2, A. Galea 1, C. Bonello, E. Cachia, M. Cuk 2, D. Camilleri, M. Pace, S. Borg, J. Xerri de Caro, K. Lanzon 1.

Refs: D. Di Meo, A. Deraffaele

* * *

Ta’ Xbiex MP 10

Marsaxlokk FP 11

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

Marsaxlokk moved closer to a final joint 3rd placing in the standings after they beat Ta’ Xbiex who thus lost their chance to end in the second place behind neo-champions Marsascala.

The game got off to a quiet start but then increased in momentum as the game progressed. The southerner’s hero was Sergey Frolov who managed to score an impressive 7-goal personal tally.

The first session ended with the southerners leading 2-1 thanks to a goal from Sergey Frolov off a solitary break, after Polacik had somewhat hurried shooting off a foul, just 4 seconds from the end.

Marsaxlokk had opened the score through an Alan Farrugia strike on a Pisani man-up. They could have increased this initial lead but missed on an Engerer man-up.

Veteran Peter Paolella, who had just entered into the match a minute earlier, equalised for Ta’ Xbiex when he found adequate space on the left after a defensive blunder by M’Xlokk.

The second session produced seven goals with the two sides ending at par, at 5-5, halfway into the match.

Roman Polacik opened the session with style netting a scorcher off the post after just 34 seconds.

However M’Xlokk scored twice within a short span of 27 seconds in the 3rd minute, both goals coming from Belorussian stalwart Sergey Frolov who on both occasions broke off on a solitary break after quite blatant turnovers committed by Ta’ Xbiex.

Ta’ Xbiex fought back with determination and managed to overturn the score to 5-4 in their favour.

Paolella registered his hat-trick after scoring two consecutive goals in the 4th minute. In the first instance he won a centre duel with Schembri and then the Englishman scored off a bounce shot with Ghirxi excluded.

After missing on a Bugeja man-up, Ta’ Xbiex took the lead after a Marco Manara strike directed to the left corner.

However, a minute from the change of ends, Keith Farrugia (the son of coach Anthony Farrugia) scored for his dad’s side on a Galea Pace man-up.

Frolov continued to be an inspiration to his side as he netted his side’s 6th goal immediately off a Pisani exclusion despite protests by Ta’ Xbiex. Pisani made amends as he equalised seconds later through a nice lob.

After missing on a Tanti man-up with Manara acting as a provisionary goalkeeper, Marsaxlokk once again went ahead through K. Farrugia’s brace. Frolov then converted a penalty with Manara getting fouled-out but Ta’ Xbiex managed to reduce the deficit before the session’s end with a Kurt Sciortino bounce shot from the left.

Ta’ Xbiex managed twice to equalise in the final session through further goals from Polacik (a nice back-hand off the bar) and Pisani but the southerners made sure of victory after Charles Bugeja and Frolov notched the eventual winner goals.

M’Xlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia 1, K. Farrugia 2, C. Bugeja 1, E. Pisani, D. Schmebri, S. Frolov 7, K. Grima Scott, N. Agius, G. Attard, A. Sammut.

Ta’ Xbiex: A. Tanti, A. Bianchi, M. Manara 1, M. Galea Pace, C. D’Ugo, K. Sciortino 1, M. Camilleri, R. Polacik 3, P. Paolella 3, K. Engerer, C. Sciortino, D. Pisani 2.

Refs: M. Dalli, R. Spiteri.

* * *

Under 19

Sliema - Sirens 15-7

Sliema won the league thus making an en-plein in the junior category as they won the under 14, under 17 and now the under 19 league.