Neptunes managed to extend their Winter League successes to seven after beating rivals Sliema with a solitary goal after extra time.

Led by Steve Camilleri, who notched a nap hand of goals and was a constant threat to Sliema's rearguard, Neptunes had to fight hard to keep off Sliema who had Jonathan Valletta in fine form and also finding the net on five occasions.

Neptunes opened the score in their first offensive ploy which was an extended action as Lanzon had a blocked shot in the first 30 seconds of possession but the reds regained the ball and in the subsequent seconds managed to beat Josie Cachia through a Steve Camilleri shot off a foul.

After the reds missed on a Brownrigg man-up, Sliema overturned the score with two goals in 40 seconds.

Jonathan Valletta made it 1-1 with a 6-metre precise shot to the top left corner and then it was John Soler who, after receiving a good pass from Meli, scored with a back-hand shot from the centre forward position.

Less than a minute later Neptunes won a man-up when Meli was excluded and S. Camilleri made it a brace in the initial session with a low shot off the water.

The second session ended also at 2-2 so that it was still a level score game at 4-4 midway into the game.

Valletta was Sliema's hero when he added a further two goals for a hat-trick after 12 minutes of play. He gave Sliema the lead once again at 3-2 early in the second session after the Blues won their first man-up after Lanzon fouled Soler.

Sliema missed a good chance to extend their lead when Meli's pass towards an ummarked Brownrigg was too strong and they paid dearly for this as Neptunes equalised immediately on the opposite side. John Paris made good use of a man-up he obtained on Aquilina as he received the ball back instantly and beat Cachia from close range.

Valletta restored Sliema's lead with a gem of a shot directed to the top right corner from some nine metres away from the Neptunes' goal.

Three minutes had to pass until the game was again level. Michele Stellini, who had a couple of attempts in the first session, managed to find the net for 4-4 but the reds missed in their next attack on a Debono exclusion.

The third session was a hard fought affair as the two sides battled bravely to outsmart each other.

Each side missed on an early man-up and the only goal in these tense eight minutes came from Neptunes. And what it gaol it was after S. Camilleri, despite seemingly in a tight position on the side, managed to beat Cachia with a beautiful diagonal shot.

Neptunes' lead could have been increased a minute later when E. Cachia was left unmarked but the latter shot softly.

Merely 49 seconds into the last session S. Camilleri registered his personal poker of goals after he found space and scored with a diagonal shot.

Valletta came again to Sliema's rescue. First he scored on a Pisani man-up and then, after Neptunes missed on a Gialanze exclusion, he made it 6-6 with three and a half minutes to go with a low shot beneath Gouder's hands.

Seconds ticked by and both sides could not break the deadlock. Sliema came close 40 seconds from the end with a Meli shot hitting the right upright whilst Neptunes had the last possession with a Debono exclusion (fouled out in this situation) but had no chance to shoot.

Extra time had hardly started when Neptunes scored what ended to be the championship winning goal and it was again Steve Camilleri who found space and scored his fifth on the day.

Sliema had an opportunity to equalise with a late man-up in the first session of extended time but Gouder thwarted Meli's shot.

Play was very tense in the second three-minute session with Neptunes managing to hold on to their slender lead to emerge winners for the seventh time in their history.

After the match the reds' captain, Nicky Lanzon, was presented with the BOV Winter League trophy by Mr. Peter Perotti who represented the sponsors.

Neptunes: Nicky Gouder, Nicky Lanzon, Jordan Camilleri, Karl Galea, Edward Cachia, Rambert Attard, Steve Camilleri 5, Timmy Agius, David Camilleri, Sean Gravina, John Paris 1, Michele Stellini 1, Matthew Pisani, David Caruana, Ryan Sciortino.

Sliema: Josie Cachia, Christian Gialanze, Edward Aquilina, Jerome Gabaretta, Mark Meli, John Soler 1, Daniel Paolella, John Brownrigg, Clint Debono, Jonathan Valletta 5, James Spiteri Staines, Nicholai Lubrano, Miguel Manara, Ryan Coleiro.

Refs: Mario Dalli, Massimo Angileri

Sirens Hard Rock Café 12

San Giljan Zara 11

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

Sirens obtained their second win in the winter league and managed to end in the third place after outsmarting San Giljan 12-11.

The Saints had beaten the St Paul's Bay side 11-8 in the first phase but this time round had a tough hill to climb after finding themselves four goals down in two situations in the third session at 4-8 and 5-9.

San Giljan did stage a remarkable comeback to level the score at 9-9 and later at 11-11 but a Ryan Mock goal (this lad scored a hat-trick) late in the game finally made it a tight Sirens win.

Sirens: Joseph Sammut, Allan Grech, Anthony Galea 3, Paul Privitera, Peter Borg, Ryan Mock 3, Jurgen Borg 1, David Cutajar 2, Mark Mallia, Ranier Scerri 1, Josef Camilleri, Alex Attard, Clint Mercieca 2.

San Giljan: Dean Camilleri, Claudio Spiteri de Barro 2, Andrea Bianchi 2, Matthew Zammit 1, Matthew Pace 1, Glen Ghirxi, Edward Arrigo, Paul Fava 2, John Xerri de Caro 2, Kayne Lanzon 1.

Refs: Peter Balzan, Ivan Sciriha