SAN ĠILJAN JP PROJECTS....... 7

SLIEMA FRANK SALT.............. 6

(2-2), (1-3), (1-1), (3-0)

 

San Ġiljan JP Projects are just one win away from clinching their 12th league in their history. For most of the match, they didn’t look the team that was going to end victorious but in the last session they challenged themselves and took advantage from their opponents’ mistakes.

Sliema must feel disappointed as they threw away all the hard work, they did in the first three sessions. They lost power in attack when their centre Jerome Gabarretta was fouled out midway through the third session.

The performances of both goalkeepers especially San Ġiljan’s goalkeeper Jake Tanti proved to be pivotal as at one point during the second session both Tanti and Nicky Grixti kept their teams in the game.

The match got off to a flying start as Nicholas Bugelli put San Ġiljan and Benji Cachia equalised, all in the first minute of the game. Mattias Ortoleva regained San Ġiljan’s lead with a shot from an acute angle but again immediately, Sliema responded through Jerome Gabarretta.

At one point in the second part of the second session, Sliema took control of the game and after captain Mark Meli put Sliema in the lead for the first time, Liam Galea doubled the advantage half a minute later with a splendid backhand. Nikolai Zammit reduced the gap from penalty, but Gabarretta showed quality in the centre to beat Tanti. Before Zammit’s penalty, Darren Zammit was sent-off with substitution.

Youngster Jake Bonavia reduced the margin again to a goal in the beginning of the third session. They could have equalised after the won a penalty while Sliema lost Gabarretta with the third foul. But Andreas Galea missed the chance. A minute later, Benji Cachia found the angle to beat again Tanti to give Sliema a precious 6-4 lead.

Before the last session began, San Ġiljan coach Zeljko Kovacic was sent-off by referee Raffaele Colombo for protesting. San Ġiljan had to dig deep to salvage the game. Bonavia kept San Ġiljan in the game in the middle of the last session, scoring from close range and later he took advantage from an indecision by Nicky Grixti to equalise.

Sliema’s ex-player Nicholas Bugelli completed the comeback a few seconds later as now San Ġiljan led 7-6 with a bit less than three minutes before the end of the game. Sliema still had time to recover but they started panicking and lost their sharpness and concentration in front of goal.

San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, P. Borg, A. Galea, N. Schiavone, R. Caruana, M. Zammit, B. Plumpton, D. Tully, J. Bonavia (3), N. Zammit (1), D. Zammit, N. Bugelli (2), G. Vassallo, M. Ortoleva (1), D. Ferò

Sliema: N. Grixti, J. Gabarretta (2), L. Galea (1), D. Rizzo, M. Meli (1), B. Cachia (2), J. Cutajar, M. Mifsud, J. Brownrigg, J. Gambin, Z. Mizzi, D. Zammit, A. Theuma, K. Borg

Referees: Raffaele Colombo, Ronnie Spiteri

 

WATERPOLO – BOV FIRST DIVISION

Marsaskala win a drab encounter

 

M’SKALA FISH AND FISH........ 7

VALLETTA IZIBET.................... 1

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

 

Surely more was expected from the first final, but it only matters one for Marsaskala Fish and Fish; the win. It was not a convincing performance, but they made it count when it mattered as Valletta failed to take control of the game even when both teams weren’t at their best. This result means that Marsaskala can wrap up the league if they win next Wednesday.

Kyle Navarro put Marsaskala in the lead, but Valletta equalised immediately from veteran Stephen Micallef. Both teams failed to find the net, but more worrying was that both goalkeepers weren’t tested a lot.

The level of the game continued to drop as both teams were very static in their play, but veteran David Pace Lupi scored the only of the goal of the session to keep Marsaskala with their noses in front.

A reaction was expected from Valletta in the last session but as soon as Jake Ciantar made it 3-1 early in the session, the game headed only in one direction. Veteran Paul Privitera added another from a man-up situation and later Pace Lupi scored a brace to close the game. Ayrton Camenzuli rounded the win with a late goal.

Marsaskala: J. Micallef, J.C. Cutajar, A. Camenzuli (1), P. Privitera (1), R. Greco, G. Galea, K. Navarro (1), M. Manara, D. Pace Lupi (3), G. Sammut, J. Ciantar (1), M. Carani, A. Muscat, F. Scardino, L. Falzon

Valletta: B. Busuttil, N. Farrugia, M. Pace, J. Culic, S. Busuttil, Z. Micallef, D. Paolella, M. Mifsud, S. Micallef (1), A. Agius, K. Galea, K. Cremona, A. Bugeja, L. Felice, R. Attard

Referees: Giuseppe Fusco, Richard Magri