San Giljan Sir Alex 9
Neptunes Emirates 19
(1-4, 3-5, 4-4, 1-6)
The champions are up there, way ahead of all other opponents. This last match of the first round was supposed to be a tight one to see who the sole leaders were to be. There was no doubt about it.
Neptunes made short shrift of the San Giljan outfit, swimming rings around them, and dictating play as they saw fit. If it were not for the shooting prowess of Dino Zammit, in his first season with the Saints, they would have suffered a more pronounced defeat.
San Giljan opted to change their goalkeeper in the last quarter, but the second goalie did not have a happy time, also suffering six goals, as the Saints’ defence was caught time and again on the wrong foot.
Neptunes now grace the top of the standings, still unbeaten in the Summer games, and have now waltzed through all their league matches.
The champions established a 4-1 opening session advantage, with goals from Jordan Camilleri, Tamas Molnar and two from Niki Lanzon, before Zammit opened the scoring for the Saints.
In the next period Michele Stellini and Jordan camilleri increased Nep- tunes’ lead, with Zammit again replying for San Giljan. Stellini and Steve Camilleri then added on two kore Neptunes’ strikes, before Matthew Zammit obtained the Saints’ third goal. Steve Camilleri and Dino Zammit, at the other end, completed the scoring till the interval, for a 9-4 Neptunes’ advantage. After the break every time the Saints scored, there was a goal at the other end. Marko Avramovic snd three more Dino zammit nettings, had Alex Ciric, Clint Mercieca, Molnar and Sean gravina with the champions’ replies, for a 13-8 scoreline.
The last session had the champions again as- serting themselves, with a five goal run, by Steve Camilleri, two more Lanzon goals, Jordan Camilleri and Gravina. Matthew Zammit scored his second goal for the Saints, and the game finished with a fourth Steve Camilleri strike. Dino Zammit did have six goals to his credit for the Saints, but Neptunes had Lanzon and Steve Camilleri with pokers each. The Saints converted three out of their nine man ups, with Neptunes going better, with four goals from seven expulsions.
San Giljan: D. Camilleri, JC Cutajar, C. Gialanze, K. Galea, K. Dowling, M. Zammit 2, M. Avramovic 1, A. Bianchi, C. Spiteri de Barro, P. Biros , P. Fava , D. Zammit 6, J. Sammut
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon 4, A. Sammut , M. Stellini 2, T. Agius, A. Ciric 1, S. Camilleri 4, J. Camilleri 3, G. Pace, S. Gravina 2, B. Lanzon, T. Molnar 2, C. Mercieca 1 Referees: M. Dalli, M. Piano
Valletta share top spot with Marsascala
Ta Xbiex Amigos 12 Valletta United 18 (1-5, 2-5, 2-4, 7-4)
Valletta went up, to share the top spot with Marsascala, as they ham- mered Ta Xbiex, who only managed to hike up a more respectable score in the last quarter, after they were left floundering behind in the first three sessions of play. The Citizens were all over their opponents till the interval, when they had established a solid 10- 3 advantage.
Their lead increased after the break, but then they eased off in the last period, which was an open one, and Ta Xbiex could shoot in their seven goals, with Valletta having Charles Zammit to reply at the other end. For a change the man ups were handled well by both sides, with Valletta failing only once in seven occasions, and Ta Xbiex scoring three from four. Zammit netted a nap hand for the Citizens, with both foreigners, Milos Korolija and Djorde Filipovic scoring a total of four goals each. Yuri Szeles replied for Ta Xbiex, also with a poker of goals.
Ta Xbiex: L. Borg, M. Axiaq , A. Galea 3, T. Galea 1, S. Cini , R. Dam- ato, K. Galea, M. Paris 1, P. Paris , P. Markoch 3, M. Spiteri , O. Zammit, Y. Szeles 4 Valletta: R. Sciortino, S. Meli 1, R. Calleja, M. Korolija 4, M. Cordina, S. Cachia, R. Mock 1, C. Zammit 6, C. Debono 2, R. Scerri, N. Bonello Ghio, D. Filipov 4, Z. Sciberras Referees: M. Angileri, R. Spiteri