NEPTUNES VIDEOSLOTS - MARSASKALA ESC 17-9 (5‑1), (3‑2), (4‑3), (5‑3)

Neptunes Videoslots made it easy for themselves. Another win that permitted them to regain second place above Sliema. Marsaskala didn’t have a nega‐ tive game but simply they couldn’t cope with the level of their opponents.

The first session set the story of the game. Neptunes were prepared to lay their mark from the beginning and took control of the game immediately.

Jake Muscat was the protagonist in the first session scoring no less than three of the five goals of his team.

Neptunes even stretched their lead to 7‐1 in the second session, but Edoardo Manzi scored twice for Marsaskala as Neptunes finished the second session 8‐ 3 ahead.

Despite that it was already difficult, Marsaskala reduced the arrears to 9‐5 in the third session.

Neptunes soon stepped up to regain their comfortable six‐goal advantage through goals by Alec Fenech and Filip Filipovic.

Stevie Camilleri ended the third and opened the fourth session with a goal while Filipovic made it 14‐6.

They kept controlling till the end despite an ongoing rotation by coach Dorian Pisani, including also reserve goalkeeper Marco Rossi for the last session.

Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, J. Muscat (3), S. Gialanze, G. Pace, M. Castillo (1), J. Ba‐ jada (1), S. Camilleri (4), J. Camilleri, A. Ivovic (3), F. Filipovic (4), A. Fenech (1), E. Mallia, M. Rossi, D. Bugeja, A. Fava

Marsaskala: A. Muscat, J.C. Cutajar, G. Galea, P. Privitera, R. Greco, E. Manzi (5), K. Navarro, D. Tully (1), D. Pace Lupi, G. Sammut (1), J. Ciantar, M. Carani (1), J. Micallef, T. Sedlmayerm (1), F. Scardino

Referees: Alessandro Carrer, Stefan Li‐ cari

SAN ĠILJAN JP PROJECTS VALLETTA IZIBET 22-14 (8‑0), (6‑3), (4‑6), (4‑5)

The result might give an idea that it was a comfortable win for San Ġiljan JP Projects.

It was but it couldn’t have been as easy and dominant if it wasn’t for the decisions by coach Zeljko Kovacic to rotate his team.

For Valletta this was another difficult game after they were dominated by Ne tunes last Saturday.

A brace each by Aaron Younger and Darren Zammit paved the way for a dominant session as San Ġiljan ended the first session 8‐0, an average of a goal per minute.

Valletta stopped the streak by San Ġiljan in the second session as veteran Stephen Micallef responded to Jake Bonavia’s goal. The champions continued to dictate play and stretched their lead to 14‐3 by the end of the second session.

Kovacic decided to give game time to fringe players while he rested both foreigners, namely Aaron Younger and Maro Jokovic for the last two sessions and for some time also captain Matthew Zammit.

Valletta were facing a team closer to their abilities and took advantage by winning the third session to limit the damage already inflicted.

Valletta scored four consecutive goals in the last session to reduce the gap to 18‐13. San Ġiljan accelerated again and scored three consecutive goals from Ben Plumpton twice and Matthew Zammit.

Nagaev responded for Valletta but San Ġiljan still had their last say in the game as goalkeeper Jake Tanti managed to score in the last action of the game after a time‐out called by Kovacic.

San Ġiljan: J. Tanti (1), N. Bugelli (2), A. Galea (1), B. Plumpton (4), M. Jokovic, M. Zammit (3), J. Bonavia (2), A. Younger (2), J. Abela (1), N. Zammit (2), D. Zam‐ mit (2), R. Caruana (2), G. Borg, G. Bonavia, K. Calleja

Valletta: B. Busuttil, J. Spiteri Staines, D. Rizzo (1), J. Cassar, S. Busuttil (1), A. Vlahovic (2), D. Paolella, I. Nagaev (6), S. Micallef (2), A. Agius, K. Borg (1), K. Cre‐ mona (1), A. Theuma, M. Demarco, J. Chircop

Referees: Giuseppe Fusco, Massimo Angileri