Sliema Frank Salt     11    

San Giljan Sir Alex     12    

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

The Saints beat Sliema for the third time this season with an odd goal difference, this time with a slight variation from the first two wins. There was nothing to choose between the two sides, as they both held leads for four times throughout the encounter. It was only San Giljan who held a double ad- vantage, with the two sides locked together, on equal terms , or with just a goal apart, for nearly the whole match. This victory takes San Giljan to joint top position, with Neptunes. Sliema had John Brownrigg missing once again, and the Saints had Kai Dowling in preference over Matthew Pisani. This was Sergio Afric’s first game against the club that he started with this season, before he opted out of the Blues’ helm, and signed for San Giljan some days later.

John Soler opened the scoring for Sliema, with the Saints turning the score around till the end of the session, with a Peter Biros penalty and Dino Zammit, as the two sides were very wary of each other. In the next period another Biros penalty had San Giljan on a better score, but Sliema were also awarded a penalty, converted by Gergely Kiss.

San Giljan were two ahead once more, through Karl Galea, but Sliema had a bright patch, when they netted three times, from Damir Buric, Edward Aquilina and Kiss, to go in front, only for Matthew Zammit to tie the score before the interval, for a tight 5-5 score.

After the break Biros put the Saints ahead, but Aquilina and Jerome Gabarretta overturned the score in favour of Sliema. The Saints came back, with Marko Avramovic and Andrea Bianchi strikes, to lead 8-7, when the last quar- ter started. Kiss made it all square again, but Galea gave the saints an- other advantage. It was then Soler, with a brace of goals to put Sliema in front. San Giljan had to win this match, and Galea and Avramovic found the back of the Sliema net, to put their side ahead. Soler put Sliema on level terms in the last minute of play, but in the last man up of the match, in favour of the Saints, it was Galea to poke into the net, just three seconds from the final buzzer, to take San Giljan alongside Neptunes, at the top of the standings.

Galea finished with a poker of goals, and Biros scored a hat trick, for San Giljan, who netted four times from their seven man ups. Sliema’s Soler also scored four times, with Kiss on three strikes. Sliema managed three nettings from eight man ups.

Sliema: R. Coleiro, D. Buric 1, N. Lu- brano, T. Sullivan, M. Meli, J. Soler 4, G. Kiss 3, E. Aquilina 2, C. Cluett , J. Gabarretta 1, D. Paolella, M. Spiteri Staines, D. Abela San Giljan: D. Camilleri, JC Cutajar , C. Gialanze, K. Galea 4, K. Dowling, M. Zammit 1, M. Avramovic 2, A. Bianchi 1, C. Spiteri de Barro ,  P. Biros 3, P. Fava , D. Zammit 1, J. Sammut Referees: A. DeRaffaele, G. Del Bosco

Marsascala keep league hopes alive Marsascala More 13    

Ta Xbiex Amigos    9 (4-2, 2-2, 4-4, 3-1)

Marsascala made it three wins out of four encounters, against Ta Xbiex, this season, as they kept their faint league hopes alive, when they will be meeting leaders, Valletta, this com- ing weekend. Ta Xbiex were only in front early on in the game, but then they had to chase their opponents throughout the match, although once they did manage to tie the score. They were never that far away from Marsascala, but their opposition faded away in the last stages, as Marsascala opened up a better advantage. Ta Xbiex had young Andreas Galea returning to the side, as he had missed their last match. The usual Joseph Kayes led the Marsascala attack, netting foru times, with John Licari obtaining a hat trick. Marsascala began well in their man ups, but then missed quite a few, to end up with three goals from nine occasions. Ta Xbiex had three players on doubles, An- dreas Galea, Keith Galea and Michael Paris, with Yuri Szeles un- able to find the Marsascala net. Ta Xbiex netted two from six in their man ups. Marsascala: K. Schembri, K. Rizzo Naudi , M. Pace 1, B. Muscat , J.

Kayes 4, L. Grixti 2, G. Hedegus 2, J. Cremona 1, J. Licari 3, A. Sam- mut, D. Cassar, C. Mifsud, L. Caru- ana Ta Xbiex: L. Borg, M. Spiteri , A. Galea 2, T. Galea 1, S. Cini , M. Axiaq , K.Galea 2, M. Paris 2, P. Paris, P. Markoch 1, R. Attard, O. Zammit 1,  Y. Szeles Referees: P. Balzan, R. Spiteri