NEPTUNES LEO VEGAS.......... 10
SLIEMA FRANK SALT.............. 8
(3-1), (2-3), (4-3), (1-1)
Neptunes Leo Vegas showed their character to win yet another honour this season. They had to beat a determined Sliema side who were aiming to win the competition for the first time since 2013.
This win ended the dominance by San Ġiljan who won the last four editions and will serve as a boost in their quest to win the league for the second year in a row. Neptunes boast a mix of talented young and experienced players that alongside two foreigners like Petar Muslim and Darko Brguljan can give the perfect recipe to win against any circumstance.
Darko Brguljan and Jordan Camilleri gave Neptunes a deserved 2-0 advantage and stayed with their double advantage after Stevie Camilleri responded to Gavril Subotic, but goals scored from penalty.
Sliema made a bold reaction in the beginning of the second session as they equalised from Nicholas Bugelli who scored from an acute angle, and few seconds later from a fast counter by Subotic. Neptunes ended the second session 5-4 in the lead after goals from Stevie Camilleri and Petar Muslim while Michael Spiteri had equalised for Sliema.
Sergio Afric's team started a session on a high, equalising from Jerome Gabarretta and again equalised from Liam Galea after a goal by Nikolai Zammit. But Jordan Camilleri and Muslim gave Neptunes an 8-6 lead and ended the session 9-7 after Brguljan responded to the goal by Hungarian Norbert Hoznyansky.
Bugelli again reduced the margin in the beginning of the last session but Darko Brguljan kept the advantage for Neptunes after scoring immediately. Sliema continued to search for the important goal to keep them in the game, while Neptunes were trying to kill the game.
Sliema had an opportunity after Jordan Camilleri was excluded for the third time in the final two minutes of the game but missed two opportunities as Neptunes controlled the final moments to clinch another honour. Captain Niki Lanzon was presented with the trophy after the game.
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon, K. Erdogan, G. Pace, P. Muslim (2), D. Brguljan (3), S. Camilleri (2), J. Camilleri (2), J. Abela, N. Zammit (1), J. Muscat, M. Azzopardi, B. Busuttil, S. Busuttil, J. Farrugia
Sliema: J. Parnis, J. Gabarretta (1), G. Subotic (2), J. Sciberras, M. Meli, N. Hoznyansky (1), M. Spiteri Staines (1), L. Galea (1), B. Cachia, J. Gambin, Z. Mizzi, N. Bugelli, M. Vassallo, K. Borg, J. Cachia
Referees: Massimo Angileri, Attilio Paoletti