A heavy defeat against San Ġiljan yesterday has left Sirens tettering on the
brink of demotion and the only remote chance of keeping their heads above water rest on Marsaxlokk’s possibilities of beating Valletta
today.
A dominant San Ġiljan lowered Sirens’ colours with an emphatic display, which included 10 goals in a second-half domination and left Marko Orolovic’s side on the brink of their first relegation in 34 years.
San Ġiljan won the first quarter comfortably, rampaging through Sirens, winning 6-2. Matthew Zammit got a hat-trick in that first period, the third coming from a penalty. Dino Zammit claimed five goals at the end.
In the second session, Isaiah Riolo and Ken Erdogan broke to cut the leeway.
Play was quite balanced at this point, but Sirens wasted a glaring chance when Erdogan missed with only goalkeeper Jake Tanti to beat.
But then it was San Ġiljan’s turn to take control again as the St Paul’s Bay team stalled completely.
The Saints won the third session 5-1 during which Dino Zammit and Andreas Galea each netted a brace.
In the last session, Galea completed his hat-trick before Zammit grabbed his fourth and fifth in quick succession, Russell Caruana scored on the fast break to take San Ġiljan’s tally to 18.
Earlier, a slow-starting Otters picked up the scoring rhythm in the second session to pull away from Ta’ Xbiex and register their first win of the season.
Kieyan Borg grabbed a brace for 2-0 first session lead for Ta’ Xbiex.
But a five-goal spree from Otters swayed the match the other way as the Gozitan side won the next two sessions for 5-2 lead before the start of the last quarter.
In the last session, Ta’ Xbiex upstaged their opponents but found themselves thwarted by the Gozitans’ impenetrable goalkeeper Matthew Xerri.
TA’XBIEX 2
OTTERS 5
(2-0, 0-2, 0-3, 0-0)
TA’ XBIEX: M. Vassallo, Z. Cutajar, J. Pace Mizzi, J. Cassar, M. DeMarco, J. Saliba, J. Cutajar, K. Borg 2, S. Azzopardi, E. Schembri, D. Rizzo, D. Galea Mule.
OTTERS: M. Xerri, C. Spiteri de Barro, M. Lanzon 1, L. Hyzler 1, E. Meli, L. Gialanze, K. Scicluna 1, G. Mizzi, D. Dimech, C. Zammit 1, Z. Bartolo, O. Zammit 1, D. Spiteri.
Referees: R. Spiteri, R. Magri.
SAN ĠILJAN 18
SIRENS 6
(6-2, 2-2, 5-1, 5-1)
SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, D. Zahra 1, A. Galea 3, D. Fero, R. Caruana 1, M. Zammit 3, B. Plumpton 2, J. Bonavia 1, D. Ciantar, Darren Zammit 1, K. Galea, Dino Zammit 5, G. Vassallo, M. Ortoleva 1.
SIRENS G. Galea Curmi, M. Grech, K. Erdogan 2, J. Sciberras, J. Zerafa Gregory 1, L. Falzon, M. Sciberras 2, I. Riolo 1, J. Napier, G. Mellilo, L. Caruana, M. Azzopardi, M. Bonello du Puis.
Referees: M. Angileri, A. DeRaffaele,
