San Giljan Sir Alex           21    

Sirens Ritter Sport           16

(6-4, 4-5, 7-3, 4-4)

 

 San Giljan made it three wins in six days, to grace the top of the standings, though with a match more than Neptunes. It was not all roses for the Saints in this encounter, as Sirens were a tenacious lot, and only succumbed after the break, suffering four goals. Then it was balanced once more, with San Giljan content with the score in their favour. A credit to the Saints also, as they managed to convert all of their nine man ups, making full use of their extra man in the water.

Sirens scored half of their eight man ups. Sirens had Julian Zampa in lieu of Georg Debono.

Karl Galea opened the scoring for the Saints, and after Csaba Kiss put in Sirens’ opening goal, it was Galea again and Matthew Zammit, for a double San Giljan advantage. Jurgen Borg reduced Sirens’ deficit, with the Saints adding on two more goals, from Marco Avramovic, the second from a penalty. Sirens’ foreigners, Kiss and Arpad babay netted for their side, but in between there was Matthew Zammit scoring, for a triple San Giljan lead. In the second period Andrew Zarb Cousin found the net for Sirens, with Christian Gialanze replying for the Saints.

Then it was Sirens scoring three more goals, by Babay, Zarb Cousin and Alex Attard, but San Giljan had an answer every time, from Matthew Zammit, twice, and Dino Zammit. Before the end of the session Babay scored again for Sirens, and Andrea Bianchi was out on fouls for the Saints. Halftime at a tight 10-9 for San Giljan.

After the break there was the San Giljan surge, as they got the goals from Galea, a Peter Biros penalty, Galea once more and Matthew Zammit, to open a decisive advantage. Then again it was Sirens with three goals and the Saints with a reply each time. A Kiss penalty, Babay and David Cutajar for Sirens, and Jean Claude Cutajar, Biros and Paul Fava for the Saints, as they went 17-12 in front into the last quarter. Attard and Borg brought Sirens nearer, but San Giljan then produced three goals in a row, by another Biros penalty, Matthew Zammit and again Biros, as Cutajar committed his third foul for Sirens. Till the end of the match babay scored twice more for Sirens, with Matthew Zammit getting his seventh strike for the Saints, in between.

Besides Zammit, San Giljan had Biros and Galea both on pokers. For sirens there were Babay on a double hat trick, and Kiss with three goals.

 

San Giljan: D. Camilleri, J C Cutajar 1, C. Gialanze 1, K. Galea 4, K. Dowling , M. Zammit 7, M. Avramovic 2, A. Bianchi , C. Spiteri de Barro, P. Biros 4, P. Fava 1, D. Zammit 1, J. Sammut

Sirens: A. Grech, Z. Mizzi , M. Grech, J. Napier , A. Babay 6, C. Kiss 3, J. Borg 2, D. Cutajar 1, A. Zarb Cousin 2, A. Attard 2, S. Micallef,  J. Zampa, J. Cremona     

Referees: P. Balzan, F. Gomez

 

 

 

Division 1

 

Ta Xbiex Amigos              13    

Otters Nivea      15

(7-4, 3-4, 1-3, 2-4)

 

The Gozitans went four points clear of Ta Xbiex, in third place in the standings, and also played a game less. It was their second victory over their opponents, with a drawn match, in their first encounter. Ta Xbiex had Andreas Galea missing again, and Rheinhard Attard was abroad.

Ivan Vuksanovic had the time of his life for Otters, netting no less than 12 goals for his side. Ta Xbiex had started well, with a three goal advantage in the opening session, but Otters retaliated well , winning the next three sessions, although they were still 8-10 behind at the interval. It was close till the end, with the Gozitans forging ahead in the last session, being pulled back twice by Ta Xbiex, , b ut despite Yuri Szeles’ goals Ta Xbiex couldn’t overhaul their adversaries, with Otters making the issue safe with a Grima Scott goal.

Otters only managed a lone goal in eight of their man ups, Ta Xbiex had three occasions with a man more, scoring in one of them, with Szels finishing with five goals, and Tony Galea with four more.

 

Ta Xbiex: L. Borg, L. Pace , CD. Pace , T. Galea 4, S. Cini , M. Axiaq , K. Galea 1, P. Paris 1, P. Markoch 2, M. Spiteri , O. Zammit , Y. Szeles 5

Otters: N. Grixti, G. Attard , G. Zammit, S. Xerri , P. Sciberras , A. Cachia , K. Scicluna 1, D. Schembri , A. Edward , S. Dimech , C. Martin 1, I. Vuksanovic 12, K. Grima Scott 1

Referees: M. Angileri, S. Licari