MARSASKALA ESC........ 7
SIRENS........................ 11
(1-4), (1-1), (3-3), (2-3)
A sigh of relief for Sirens after a stern opposition by Marsaskala. Despite having the control for most of the game, Marsaskala stayed in the game until the last minutes of the game. This was the second win from two games for Sirens as they edge closer to secure a place in the Premier Division.
After missing a man-up and a penalty, Sirens opened up a three-goal lead in the first session with a 3-0 and 4-1 advantage respectively. Jake Cachia scored two of them. Gianni Farrugia converted a man-up situation to make it 5-1 but Marsaskala reacted.
First it was Ferenc Salamon who reduced the advantage and in the third session, Mark Carani and again Salamon, cut the margin to only one goal. Cachia and Matthew Chircop opened up again a three-goal lead until a goal by Gerald Sammut. But a penalty from Matyas Pasztor regained the important cushion for Sirens.
A penalty by Bence Batori seemed to had opened up the game again with the majority of the session left to play. But Pasztor and Mikhael Cutajar had other plans and alongside the goal by Farrugia, Sirens secured the win. The goal by veteran Paul Privitera served only as a consolation.
Marsaskala: J. Micallef, J.C. Cutajar, G. Galea, P. Privitera (1), R. Greco, F. Salamon (2), K. Navarro, D. Tully, D. Pace Lupi, G. Sammut (1), J. Ciantar, M. Carani (1), A. Muscat, B. Batori (2), F. Scardino
Sirens: T. Micallef, P. Serracino, K. Erdogan (1), P. Figlioli, J. Zerafa Gregory (1), G. Farrugia (2), M. Chircop (1), G. Melillo, M. Cutajar (1), M. Pasztor (2), M. Sciberras, M. Azzopardi, M. Bonello Dupuis, J. Cachia (3), G. Sammut
Referees: Alex de Raffaele, Fabio Brasiliano
SLIEMA FRANK SALT...... 15
TA’ XBIEX AMIGOS......... 3
(6-1), (3-0), (4-1), (2-1)
Another easy win for Sliema Frank Salt. After defeating Otters Nivea in their Group B opener, it was a similar encounter for Sliema as they never were challenged in the game. Ta’ Xbiex found it difficult to at least make an impression against a much better team.
Sliema had already a good cushion by the end of the first session after six goals including a brace by both Elijah Schembri and Jerome Gabarretta. Another three consecutive goals in the second session put Sliema’s lead to 9-1, a result that put the game to bed. Gabarretta, Jayden Cutajar and Jamie Gambin all scored in the last two minutes of the session.
The number of consecutive goals by Sliema rose to twelve with another four consecutive goals by Sliema. Ta’ Xbiex managed to find the net in the last minute of the session with the second personal goal of Uros Vasic. The last session was only important for some fringe players to get some game time. Sliema won also the last session in which no man-up was converted.
Sliema: N. Grixti, J. Gabarretta (4), L. Galea, J. Gambin (1), Z. Mizzi (1), B. Cachia (1), J. Cutajar (2), M. Mifsud, J. Brownrigg, D. Kholod (2), A. Prlainovic (1), D. Zammit, A. Bugeja, E. Schembri (2), S. Engerer (1)
Ta’ Xbiex: M. Vassallo, N. Schiavone, L. Montebello Brownrigg, L. Grech Carr, K. Grech, R. Mock, J. Saliba (1), C. Milakovic, U. Vasic (2), J. Culic, Z. Bartolo, J. Farrugia, G. Galea Curmi, M. Ortoleva, K. Agius
Referees: Mattia Gomez, Peter Balzan
EXILES WELBEE’S........... 16
BARRACUDAS................. 9
(3-2), (6-2), (4-1), (3-4)
It was a must win for Exiles Welbee’s after they lost the first game of the Preliminary Group against Sirens. In the end it resulted in a comfortable win for Dejan Ilic’s team as Barracudas never threatened to at least snatch a point from the game.
Exiles were always in front except a few seconds due to a goal by Radovan Latinovic. Max Aquilina and Niall Saliba made it 3-1 but Ivan Gusarov reduced the gap. Exiles took control of the game in the second session as they stretcher their lead to 8-2 with Italian veteran Valentino Gallo scoring a hat-trick.
They started the third session 9-4 and secured the win with four consecutive goals from Guillermo Molina, Niall Saliba, Valentino Gallo and Mark Fenech. Exiles continued to control the game but the only consolation for Barracudas was that at least they managed to limit the damage by winning the last session.
Exiles: M. Castillo, Z. Cutajar Licari, L. Pursehouse, V. Gallo (5), G. Molina (2), S. Xerri de Caro (2), M. Fenech (1), K. Griscti (1), N. Paris, M. Martellacci, M. Aquilina (3), N. Saliba (2), F. Buhagiar, M. Paris Roding
Barracudas: I. Schembri, P. Caruana Turner, A. Magri, P. Micallef, D. Ciantar (1), R. Sciortino, I. Gusarov (3), R. Latinovic (4), C. Bugeja, S. Apap (1), A. Mifsud, T.J. Mifsud, L. Abela, T. Perici Ferrante, W. Ruggier
Referees: Stefan Licari, Mattia Gomez