Prolific Nagaev powers Valletta to commanding victory and Premier League status

The Valletta-Marsascala clash, billed as the top fixture of the weekend, turned out to be a monotonously one-sided affair with the Citizens breaking the duck at the outset, never looking back as they kept piling the score in their favour.

A superior Valletta have thus secured their Premier League status, topping Group A of the Preliminary Round with nine points, alongside San Ġiljan.

Valletta’s edge was unquestionable sparked by the potent Ivan Nagaev who netted nine goals.

A relatively close first quarter which ended 5-4 in favour for Valletta was followed up by some determined fare from the team guided by Joe Cremona.

Any hopes Arpad Babay’s team may have had disappeared in the second session when they conceded four goals and scored once.

Despite their efforts in the third session, Marsascala were out of sorts as Nagaev kept banging in the goals for Valletta, with Max Zammit scoring a hat-trick to add to his team’s tally.

Earlier, a bold display from Biżebbuġa fell short causing champions San Ġiljan some embarrassment as they were forced to grind their teeth in the latter session to finally blow away their gallant opponents.

It was pretty even in the first two sessions as the Southseasiders changed ends 6-5. This was the clarion call for San Ġiljan to pull their sleeves up.

San Ġiljan, repleted with promising fringe players, struggled in the opening stages but when Aaron Younger and Matthew Zammit finally reappeared in the third session, the Saints opened up the throttle to cruise to victory.

Jeremy Abela and Nicholai Zammit showed their colleagues the way by netting a poker and a hat-trick respectively.

In the last encounter, Sirens eased past Exiles in confident fashion with their chief marksman Matthias Azzopardi helping himself to a hat-trick. Most of the Sirens’ conversions came in the opening sessions when netting 11 goals against three conceded to put the contest beyond Exiles’ reach.

Sirens’ potency emerged again after the break as they kept ripping apart their opponents’ defensive shield with consummate ease, either on breaks, set play, or man-ups.

At least Exiles halted their progressive downward slide in the last session when they came off worst by the odd goal in seven.

MARSASKALA 9

VALLETTA 21

(3-5, 1-4, 4-5,1-7)

MARSASKALA: A. Muscat, D. Ciantar , E. Manzi 2, J Pace Mizzi 1 , M. Carani 2, R. Greco 1, K. Navarro 1, M. Farrugia , K. Grech, G. Sammut 1, J. Ciantar 1 , M. Agius, M. Borg .

VALLETTA: B. Busuttil, M. Mifsud 3, J. Sciberras 2 , S. Busuttil, K. Borg, M. Zammit 3 , I. Nagaev 9, S. Micallef , A. Agius 2, M. Chircop 1, K. Cremona, A. Bugeja, C. Mercieca

Refs: R. Spiteri, M. Gomez

EXILES 8

SIRENS 18

(1-5, 2-6, 2-4, 3-4)

EXILES: Z. Dzanovic, Z. Licari Cutajar 1, Z. Micallef, D. Pace Lupi 1, M. Martellacci 2, D. Gogov, K. Griscti 2, N. Paris 1, N. Bonavia, M. Fenech, N. Saliba 1, G. Galea Curmi, M. Paris

SIRENS: M. Bonello Depius, P. Serracino 1, K. Erdogan 1, P. Borg 2, J. Cachia 3, K. Agius, D. Merkulov 2, J. Chircop 2, J. Zerafa Gregory 2, G. Farrugia 2, M. Sciberras 1, M. Azzopardi 3, J. Parnis, M. Ortoleva.

Refs: P. Balzan, A. Barra.

SAN ĠILJAN 15

BIRŻEBBUĠA 8

(3-1, 2-5, 6-2, 4-0)

SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, N. Bugelli 1, D. Tully, R. Caruana, A. Younger 1, M. Zammit 2, J. Bonavia 2, B. Plumpton, J. Abela 4, N. Zammit 3, D. Zammit, N. Schiavone 1, G. Borg, G. Bonavia 1.

BIRŻEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, M. Aquilina, N. Cassar, B. Grech 2, S. Bezzina, M. Manara, A. Barroso 4, M. Cassar, M. Cutajar, G. Mannino, M. Curmi 1, S. Livori 1, D. Incorvaja.

Refs: A. Degabriele, A. Barra.