Sliema overcome Birżebbuġa, wins for Marsaxlokk and Otters

Sliema maintained their one hundred per cent record when they dismissed Birżebbuġa in a match which the Blues made their own thanks to their superior sharpness and swimming speed.

Sliema are now heading the table, being the only side to pick up maximum points from the encounters so far.

Sliema were always ahead but the battling Birżebbuġa kept chasing them in the opening sessions.

When the floodlights were turned on after the second session, it became suddenly overcast for Pierre Borg’s side.

Sliema had their feet on the accelerator, scoring freely for Giannis Katrouzanakis’ side to somewhat put their sloppy start behind them and putting gloss on their victory.

After a cautious start in which they shaded the first session 3-2.

Sliema forged ahead 3-0 before Alberto Barroso reduced the arrears with a brace. Sliema bounced back to take a 7-3 lead.

Barroso’s scorcher and Miguel Curmi kept their side within their opponents’ reach.

After the change of ends, three quick goals by Benji Cachia, Andreas Galea and Jayden Cassar extended Sliema’s advantage to five goals.

Sliema had already sewn up the match in the third session and increased their tally with Elijah Schembri scoring a hat-trick in the last session.

In Division One, Marsaxlokk, spearheaded by six-goal Dusan Vasic beat Marsascala 12-8.

Sasa Misic’s side had an edge throughout both in swimming and their execution with Vasic being the main threat for the winners, followed by Julian Valletta who scored a hat-trick, as Eduardo Manzi scored five for the losers.

A 3-2 first session lead was extended to 5-3 by mid-point and then to 9-6 at the end of the penultimate quarter. In the final part of the game produced six goals with Marsaxlokk shading Marsaskala 4-2 for a 12-8 score.

Otters were a sharp sider in the other lower division match against Barracudas with an 18-6 scoreline reflecting the gap between the teams.

With Petar Smiljevic conducting the operations, netting seven goals, the Gozitans always held the upper hand despite the opportunism of the Barracudas foreigner Mario Guidi, who hit four goals.

MARSAXLOKK 12

MARSASKALA 8

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

MARSAXLOKK: M. Farrugia, M. Lanzon, A. Cook, A. Aquilina, T. Agius 1, J. Valletta 3, R. Spiteri, J. Pawley, R. Galea 1, J. Borg Tabone, D. Vasic 6, R. Attard, A. Fava, S. Mifsud 1.

MARSASKALA: A. Muscat, D. Ciantar, E. Manzi 5, J. Pace Mizzi 1, M. Carani, R. Greco , K. Navarro, M. Farrugia , K. Grech, G. Sammut 1, J. Ciantar 1, J. Colombo, M. Borg, J. Simpson.

Refs: R. Spiteri, M. Alessandrini.

BARRACUDAS 6

OTTERS 18

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

BARRACUDAS: C. Bugeja, C. Bugeja, N. Farrugia 1, P. Micallef, M. Ruggier, N. Rizzo Naudi, K. Mock, G. Massa, S. Apap 1, M. Guidi 4, L. Pursehouse, C. Saliba, C. Borg, T. Camilleri.

OTTERS: M. Xerri, M. Bonnici 2, K. Scicluna, K. Micallef, M. Meli, D. Dimech, I. Azzopardi, S. Dimech, L. Dimech 4, P. Smiljevic 7, N. Farrugia, A. Dimech 4, M. Grech, TJ Mifsud 1.

Referee: J. Cauchi, D. Mazzoli

SLIEMA 14

BIRZEBBUGA 6

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

SLIEMA: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi, L. Galea, J. Gambin 1, E. Schembri 3, B. Cachia 2, J. Cutajar 2, D. Rizzo 1, J.Brownrigg 1, A. Galea 3, S. Engerer, M. Castillo, J. Cassar 1 .

BIRŻEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, J. Cauchi, N. Cassar, B. Grech 1 , S. Bezzina, M. Manara 1, A. Barroso 3, M.Cassar , D. Farrugia, M. Cutajar, G. Mannino, M. Curmi 1, S. Livori, D. Incorvaja.

Referee: S. Licari, M. Alessandrini.