Sliema Frank Salt 12

(1-1, 5-3, 3-3, 1-3) - (0-1, 1-1)

Sliema showed guts as they seemed to face a dominant side for the best part of the encounter, but they rallied back in style, to annul a four goal deficit.

Neptunes were in control, as they strode forward in the second session, after a quiet start to the match.

The champions had a double advantage at the interval, on a 6-4 score, and they increased their lead to a 9-5 score. Sliema managed to reduce the arrears, and the turning point of the match came when Neptunes were awarded a penalty throw, at 9-6, with Hungarian, Peter Biros, retained from last season, seeing Coleiro, in the Sliema goal, save his shot.

Sliema improved with leaps and bounds, and even went ahead in the last session, only for Steve Camilleri, the game's top scorer, to take the champions into overtime.

Sliema prevailed and twice were in front, as they held out till the end, to win the Cup for the seventh time, after a lapse of three years.

Both had a total of nine occasions with an extra man in the water, with Sliema converting five times to Neptunes' six goals.

Neptunes' new foreigner is the Croatian, Ivan Krapic, whilst Sliema paraded two new faces, the Frenchman, Michael Bodegas and Serbian, Nikola Dedovic, who scored the winning goal.

After the match the ASA President, Joe Caruana Curran and the General Secretary, Karl Galea, presented both sets of players with medals, and the Sliema captain, John Soler, with the winning trophy.

Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon 1, L. Calleja, M. Stellini 1, T. Agius 1, I. Krapic 2, S. Camilleri 4, J. Camilleri 1, M. Castillo, P. Biros 1, B. Lanzon, S. Xerri de Caro, C. Mercieca

Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta 1, K. Dowling 1, T. Sullivan, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 2, M. Spiteri Staines 1, C. Cluett, N. Bugelli 1, M. Bodegas 3, A. Attard 1, N. Dedovic 1, Z Sciberras,

Referees: M. Dalli, M. Bianchi

Marsascala win Sports Journalists's Cup

M'scala Nutrition Emp. 12

M'xlokk Fischer 7

(5-3, 3-1, 2-2, 2-1)

M'Scala surprisingly had an easy time against the Winter League 1 Division champions, to run out comfortable victors.

They saw M'Xlokk come back, after conceding three early goals, but were back ahead till the end of the opening session, and had increased their advantage, to an 8-4 score till the interval.

They had no further worries till the end of the match, as they controlled their opponents, keeping them at a distance, to win this Cup for the fourth time.

M'Scala have two new Hungarians, Bela Torok, who missed a penalty throw in the game, and Matyas Pastor, who was the game's top scorer, with four goals.

M'Xlokk played with Milos Korolija, the Croatian who was with Valletta last season, and Serbian, Ivan Vuksanovic, who was with Otters last season.

After the match the members of the Sports Journalists Association, Mario Bonnici and Clinton Buhagiar, presented the two sides with commemorative medals, and the M'Scala captain, Joseph Cremona, with the Trophy.

M'scala: K. SChembri, JC Cutajar 2, M. Pace, C. Bonello 1, B. Torok, L. Grixti 2, K. Navarro, J. Cremona, S. Micallef 3, M. Pastor 4, D. Cassar, C. Mifsud, F. Buhagiar

M'xlokk: N. Xuereb, C. Spiteri de Barro 2, M. Korolija 2, A. Galea 1, C. Gialanze 1, C. Bugeja, N. Portelli, I. Vuksanovic 1, A. Zarb Cousin, R. Scerri, M. Lanzon, J. Xerri de Caro, J. Cremona

Referees: M. Angileri, F. Romolini