Neptunes asserted their superiority over Sirens when they moved into the driving seat from the word ‘go’ to keep their pristine start to the season.
Except for a tiny blip in the third session, which had the teams sharing six goals, Neptunes were in complete control against Sirens in Saturday’s Premier Division fixture.
Their foreign duo Filip Filipovic and Aleksandar Ivovic gave the Reds a two-goal start before Matthias Pasztor filtered through to make it 2-1. Stevie Camilleri’s accurate shot from eight metres and Ivovic gave their team a three-goal advantage by the end of the first session.
A strong start to the second session by Marco Orlovic’s men unsettled their opponents to the extent that they rendered the Reds nervous. Sirens scored three times without reply through Jerome Zerafa Gregory and Pietro Figlioli (2).
This ploy proved expensive for the northerners in the way of energy expenditure as Neptunes took over to restore their three-goal lead before the change of ends.
With Dorian Pisani guiding his lads to a 9-4 lead soon after the third quarter got under way the result was practically sealed.
Sirens suffered a killer blow just before the end of the session when Matthias Pasztor was expelled with substitution.
But the issue had never been in doubt as Camilleri scored six goals, and the hard-working Ivovic, who scored a hat-trick, and Filipovic played the tune.
In the first match of the evening, Birzebbuġa put their disappointment of missing out on a Premier Division spot behind them when they overcame a weak Exiles side 15-10.
Not surprisingly, the result was already beyond doubt early in the match after the south seasiders built a substantial lead in the first session. Thereafter, the outcome was only academic as Balazs Erdelyi helped himself to five goals.
In the second match, the wind blew in the direction of Marsaxlokk in the opening minutes as they took 3-1 lead which was extended to 5-2 before the session closed. The three-goal advantage was maintained through the middle sessions.
The 13-10 advantage was further extended in the fourth part of the game as Marsaxlokk went all out to hone their striking skills.
Marsaxlokk’s top scorer was Nikola Moskov with eight goals while for Ta’ Xbiex Uros Vasic replied with four goals.
EXILES 10
BIRŻEBBUĠA 15
(1-5, 4-4, 2-3, 3-3)
EXILES: M. Castillo, Z. Cutajar Licari, Z. Micallef, V. Gallo 4, G. Molina 2, S. Xerri de Caro 2, M. Fenech 1, K. Grixti, N. Paris, M. Martelacci 1, M. Aquilina, N. Sailba, F. Buhagiar, A. Farrugia, L. Pursehouse
BIRZEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, P. Borg 1, N.Cassar, B. Grech 1, D. Brguljan 2, M. Manara, S. Bezzina, D. Cutajar 1, B. Erdelyi 5, K. Tanti 1, G. Mannino 1, M. Curmi, C D. Borg, J. Sciberras 3, D. Farrugia.
Refs: M. Angileri, D. Rotondano.
TA XBIEX 10
MARSAXLOKK 16
(2-5, 4-4, 4-4, 0-3)
TA XBIEX : M. Vassallo, L. Montebello 1, L. Grech Orr, R. Mock, J. Saliba 2, C. Milakovic 1, U. Vasic 4, J. Culic, Z. Bartolo, J. Farrugia 1, G. Galea Curmi, M. Ortoleva 1, K. Agius.
MARSAXLOKK: M. Farrugia, C. Cutajar, B. Zammit, M. Farrugia, N. Moskov 8, J. Valletta 2, M. Zammit, N. Lanzon, S. Misic 5, E. Bonnici, L. Mallia 1, S. Mifsud, A. Cook, C. Gatt
Refs: Neville Mercieca, Stefano Scappini.
NEPTUNES 13
SIRENS 8
(4-1, 3-3, 4-2, 3-2)
NEPTUNES: A.Borg Cole, J. Muscat 1, S. Gialanze 1, B. Lewis, M. Castillo 1, S. Camilleri 6, J. Camilleri, A. Ivovic 4, F. Filipovic 1, A. Fenech, E. Mallia, M. Rossi, D. Bugeja
SIRENS: T. Micallef, P. Serracino, K. Erdogan 1, P. Figlioli 2, J. Zerafa Gregory 1, G. Farrugia, M. Chircop, G. Melillo 1, M. Cutajar, M. Pasztor 2, M. Sciberras, M. Azzopardi, M. Bonello Dupuis, J. Cachia 1, G. Sammut.
Refs: Ronnie Spiteri, Domenico Rotondano.
