Neptunes Emirates 15
Sliema McDonalds 9
(2-1)(5-3)(4-2)(4-3)
Neptunes are ahead once more, in these championship finals, with a valid performance, in which they won all the sessions played, never giving the Blues any reasonable occasion to recuperate. It was Sliema with the game’s opening goal, but when they went behind they couldn’t make it back.
The Blues were woeful in the first three sessions, dismally failing all their eight man ups, They managed three out of four in the final period, but by then they were trailing badly.
This time the champions were not surprised by their opponents, and played their normal, strong match, until the end of the game, giving Sliema no breathing space , to adjust their game.
Neptunes were a goal in front, after the opening session, and they increased their advantage, before Sliema managed to reduce the arrears, but a three goal Tamas Molnar burst had Neptunes on a 7-4 lead, at the interval buzzer. In the third session Sliema’s tally of two goals, from John Soler, were not enough to make up for Vladimir Gojkovic’s deadly shooting, as he poured in a poker of goals. Neptunes were on their way, with a heavy 11-6 advantage, when the last session began. Sliema finally managed to score in their man ups, but the champions always had a ready reply, and more open spaces towards the end of the encounter, had them on a very comfortable final scoreline.
Neptunes also didn’t do so well in their numerical advantages, finding the net on three occasions, from their nine man ups, but they had Tamas Molnar with a five goal tally, and Vladimir Gojkovic’s poker, all in the third session. Sliema ended up with three goals from a dozen extra player instances, and John Soler scored a hat trick.
The fourth match in the series will be played tomorrow, at 6.30pm, and another Neptunes victory will have them on back to back championship wins.
Neptunes I. Bugeja, N. Lanzon 2, E. Aquilina, M. Stellini 2, J. Camilleri, B. Lanzon, S. Camilleri 2, V. Gojkovic 4, B. Buhagiar, S. Gravina, R. Sciortino, T. Molnar 5, M. Pisani
Sliema R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta, N. Lubrano, R. Fodor 2, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 3, D. Paolella 1, M. Rizzo, C. Debono, P. Privitera 1, B. Rath 1, J. Spiteri Staines, D. Abela
Referees I. Sciriha, M. Bianchi