Premier League

 

Exiles Ferretti                   9   

San Giljan Sir Alex           14

(1-3, 2-6, 2-3, 4-2)

 

San Giljan ambled through to their third win over Exiles, which pats back them as sole leaders in the standings, and they are now just a point away from the league title, last won 18 seasons ago. They played with confidence for most part of the match, and only relaxed a bit in the final session, with victory already assured. Exiles had Luca Borg in lieu of Kurt Grixti for this match.

It was Julian Rizzo Naudi who opened the score for Exiles and they kept their advantage until the Saints pushed in earnest and produced a trio of strikes, from Peter Biros, Marko Avramovic and Christian Gialanze, to finish the opening period in the lead.

In the next session San Giljan put in three more goals, from Dino Zammit, Matthew Zammit and Biros, before Exiles could obtain their second goal, by Vojoslav Cupic. The Saints were then back with another triple strike, with Matthew Zammit and a couple from Avramovic. Alex Radovic scored Exiles’ third goal. At the interval San Giljan were enjoying a 9-3 advantage.

After the break Karl Galea took the Saints into double figures, with a reply from Exiles’ James Spiteri Staines. Galea again and Biros extended San Giljan’s lead, with Radovic reducing the deficit for a 12-5 score to the Saints when the last quarter began. Here San Giljan put Joseph Sammut in goal and Dino Zammit added a further goal for them, as Radovic was out on fouls for Exiles.

But his side then had Rizzo Naudi with two goals in quick succession, before Matthew Zammit netted another Saints’ goal. Before the final buzzer Exiles scored two more goals from Cupic and Kayne Lanzon.

San Giljan converted twice from their seven man-ups, and their two foreigners, Avramovic and Biros, netted hat- tricks. Exiles also had seven man-ups, and they scored in three of them. For them it was Rizzo Naudi with three goals.

 

Exiles: I. Bugeja, J. Rizzo Naudi 3, S. Vassallo , D. Pace Lupi , N. Portelli , A. Radovic 2, J. Spiteri Staines 1, V. Cupic 2, L. Borg , P. Borg ,S. Galea Pace , D. Borg , K. Lanzon 1

San Giljan: D. Camilleri, JC Cutajar , C. Gialanze 1, K. Galea 2, K. Dowling ,M. Zammit 2, M. Avramovic 3, A. Bianchi , C. Spiteri de BarroP. Biros 3, P. Fava , D. Zammit 2, J. Sammut

Referees: P. Balzan, D. Rotondano

Division 1

First league win for M’xlokk

Marsaxlokk                         16    

Ta’ Xbiex Amigos             13

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

 

M’xlokk left it late in the season, but finally they obtained their first league victory, at the expense of Ta’ Xbiex, who thus renounced their claim on the third place in the standings, with Otters four points clear of them. M’xlokk had Kurt Grech missing, but Gordon Zammit returned, after missing some matches. The Ta’ Xbiex danger man, Yuri Szeles did not play and neither did Keith Galea and Matthew Spiteri, with Liam and Curtis Pace filling in.

A hectic opening period had M’xlokk ahead, and they were still 9-7 in front at the interval.

In fact M’xlokk did not relinquish their advantage, although Ta’ Xbiex came from five behind, to draw level in the last session, only for M’xlokk to put in three more goals, and make sure of the three points.

M’xlokk only scored once in six man-ups, but they had the Hungarian brothers, Robert and Peter Kovacs, both on nap hand goals. Ta’ Xbiex netted three times in eight extra player occasions, with Andreas Galea on a poker of goals and Peter Markoch scoring a hat trick.

M’xlokk: M. Scerri, L. Friggieri , M. Agius , E. Meli 2,  K. Mock 2, A. Galea ,C. Bugeja 1, R. Kovacs 5, P. Kovacs 5, T. Camilleri 1, J. Fenech, G. Zammit

Ta’ Xbiex: L. Borg, L. Pace , A. Galea 4, T. Galea 1, S. Cini 1, M. Axiaq, C. Pace , M. Paris 2, P. Paris , P. Markoch 3, R. Attard 2, O. Zammit ,

Referees: M. Angileri, S. Licari