Valletta McDonalds     6     Sliema Frank Salt     9

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

Sliema managed to overcome the Citizens, doing the league double over them, as they went into sole third position in the standings, albeit with a game more than Sirens, who will play Neptunes today.

Valletta were again without their skipper, Charlie Zammit, with Ryan Sciortino in goal. Sliema were a changed outfit. Zach Sciberras was again in goal, with young Miguel Muscat his understudy. James Spiteri Staines was still missing, and Jerome Gabarretta also gave this match a miss, with Nicky Bugelli returning to the side, after missing the last two encounters.

Sliema's better start helped them to establish a good advantage over Valletta in the opening session, and they increased their lead in the next period, with Valletta reducing their deficit, in a low sscoring session. Sliema were 5-2 ahead at the interval.

After the break Nikola Dedovic failed in his second penalty throw of the match, seeing Sciortino saving his effort, and Sliema had a lapse, with the Citizens coming back into the pisture with a brace of goals. Sliema recovered, to re-establish their three goal advantage, only for Valletta to pull a goal back. The last quarter began with the Blues 7-5 in front. Valletta came to within a goal of their opponents, but it was Sliema who had the last say, more correctly it was John Brownrigg, who converted two of the four man ups that Sliema had in this period, and ease the Blues to their fourth win in the league campaign.

Sliema, who had Dedovic on a poker of goals, and Brownrigg grabbing a hat trick, scored four times from their total of ten man ups. Valletta scored on three occasions, from seven man ups, with Karl Galea and Djorde Filipovic on a brace of strikes.

Valletta: R. Sciortino, O. Zammit, M. Rizzo 1, K. Galea 2, A. Agius , R. Mock ,  G. Kiss 1, N. Bonello Ghio , M. Cordina , D. Paolella , D. Filipovic 2, D. Camilleri

Sliema: Z. Sciberras, N. Bugelli , K. Dowling , T. Sullivan , M. Meli ,J. Soler , M. Fenech , C. Cluett 1, J. Brownrigg  3, M. Bodegas , A. Attard 1, N. Dedovic 4, M. Muscat

Referees: R. Spiteri, S. Alfi

BOV 1 Div. League

M'Xlokk back in the league title race

Ta Xbiex Amigos     13     M'Xlokk Fischer     14

(4-5, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3)

Ta Xbiex are still ahead in the league standings, despite their defeat, but they could be overtaken by M'Scala, who will be playing Otters today. The start of teh third round of play in this category, had M'Xlokk finally beating Ta Xbiex, after two losses in the previous games, always on high scores.

Ta Xbiex had three returning players, goalie Jurgen Micallef, and Georg Debono and Aleandro Mifsud.  M'Xlokk preferred Joseph Cremona in goal, vice the regular goalie, Nello Xuereb.

A high scoring opening session had M'Xlokk going ahead just before the end of the period, after the lead had changed hands three times. This advantage really stayed on till the end of the encounter, with the two sides tying the remaining three sessions of play with identical scores, of 3-3.

In teh second session ta Xbiex scored three times, only for M'Xlokk to do the same, and lead 8-7 at the interval. After M'Xlokk went on a double lead after the break, Ta Xbiex returned with three more goals, to forge in front, but two Ivan Vuksanovic strikes had M'Xlokk again in the lead, on an 11-10 score.

In the last quarter M'Xlokk held on to their advantage, although their coach, Ian Azzopardi was ejected from the match. A late rally by Ta Xbiex had them getting close. but M'Xlokk managed to obtain all three points.

Vuksanovic scored four times, with Milos Korolija and Ranier Scerri getting hat tricks for M'Xlokk. Mark Kallay netted five times for Ta Xbiex, including a penalty throw.

Ta Xbiex: J. Micallef, A. Maklari 2, A. Camenzuli2 , G. Attard , M. Kallay 5,K. Mock , J. Galea 1, M. Mifsud ,G. Zammit 1, E. Gravina , A. Mifsud 1, L. Pace , K. Grima Scott 1

M'xlokk: J. Cremona, C. Spiteri de Barro 2, M. Korolija 3, A. Galea , C. Gialanze 2, C. Bugeja , N. Portelli , I. Vuksanovic 4, A. Zarb Cousin , R. Scerri 3,M. Lanzon, J. Xerri de Caro , N. Xuereb

Referees: S. Licari, F. Tempesta