In a match with the biggest crowd of the season and with their hearts in their mouth, San Ġiljan beat Sliema in a dramatic penalty shoot-out which was resolved on a total of 16-14 scoreline in their favour after the match ended 13-all.
San Ġiljan will relish their latest victory on penalties, yet Sliema proved a point that albeit without a foreigner, they are now a force to be reckoned with.
San Ġiljan drew first blood through Ben Plumpton who eventually scored two goals.
The Blues turned the tables to lead 2-1 but Jake Tanti blocked Andreas Galea’s effort from a five-metre throw. And to that, the Blues paid dearly as Plumpton equalised with a great skip shot which required speed and placement to bouce the ball off the surface of the water and into the cage.
Jeremy Abela made it 3-2 at the end of the first session.
Not surprisingly, marking was very tight with Galea and Benji Cachia shadowing Aaron Youger.
Sliema dominated their opponents in the second session, scoring three goals to just one conceded.
At one point, Elijah Schembri had the opportunity to put San Ġiljan to the sword through a quick counter attack but he delayed his pass to Liam Galea and the San Giljan rearguard closed down on the Sliema centre.
In a high-scoring third session, Nikolai Zammit helped his team start their recovery early on with two quick-fire shots to open a 5-4 lead.
Cutajar and Zach Mizzi reduced the gap to 8-7 but Jeremy Abela, in good scoring form, reached a poker of goals to give the Saints 10-8 lead. But Daniel Rizzo reduced the deficit to a single goal.
That quarter proved to be eventful as Jake Bonavia and Nico Schiavone were fouled out.
With Younger, Matthew Zammit and Plumpton, hanging on two faults, San Ġiljan coach Zejlko Kovacic threw caution to the wind, firing all cylinders. Yet, it was ding-dong at this stage with San Ġiljan nosing ahead and the Blues responding with an equaliser which had the teams sharing 26 goals at the end of normal time.
Schembri suprised the San Ġiljan defence to make it 10-10. Zammit and Mathew Zammit restored San Giljan’s two-goal cushion before Sliema made it 12-12 from a backhand perfectly executed by Liam Galea.
In an intense finale, Darren Zammit made it 13-12 before Dino Zammit freed himself to give his team a last-gasp equaliser.
RESULTS
OTTERS 10
TA XBIEX 6
(2-3, 4-0, 2-3, 2-0)
OTTERS: M. Xerri, M. Bonnici 1, K. Scicluna, K. Micallef, M. Meli 1, D. Dimech, I. Azzopardi, S. Dimech, L. Dimech 2, P. Smiljevic 6, N. Farrugia, A. Dimech, M. Grech, TJ Mifsud.
TA XBIEX: J. Micallef, J. Farrugia 1, V. Figliomeni, L. Grech Carr, F. Scardino 2, M. Jelaca 1, J. Saliba 1, A. Camenzuli, M. Soler, J. Culic, T. Fenech, P. Tabone 1, A. Theuma, G. Gatt.
Refs: G. Fusco, S. Licari.
MARSAXLOKK 19
BARRACUDAS 7
(3-2, 6-1, 5-2, 5-2)
MARSAXLOKK: M. Farrugia, M. Lanzon 1, A. Cook 1, B. Zammit, A. Aquilina, J. Valletta 4, R. Spiteri, J. Pawley, R. Galea 4, B. Lewis 2, D. Vasic 5, R. Attard, M. Brimmer, A. Fava 2.
BARRACUDAS: C. Bugeja, C. Bugeja, N. Farrugia 1, P. Micallef, W. Ruggier 1, R. Sciortino 2, K. Mock, G. Massa, S. Apap, M. Guidi 2, L. Pursehouse 1, N. Rizzo, A. Micallef, L. Bowman.
Refs: S. Licari, G. Fusco.
SAN ĠILJAN 13
SLIEMA 13
(3-2, 1-3, 6-4, 3-4; San Ġiljan win 16-14 after penalties)
SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, N. Bugelli , D. Tully, R. Caruana , A. Younger 2 , M. Zammit 1, J. Bonavia, B. Plumpton 2, J. Abela 4 , N. Zammit 3, D. Zammit 1, N. Schiavone , G. Borg, G. Bonavia.
SLIEMA: N. Grixti, E. Schembri 1, L. Galea 1, J. Gambin 1, S. Engerer, B. Cachia, J. Cutajar 2, D. Rizzo 1, J.Brownrigg 1, A. Galea 1, Z. Mizzi 2, D. Zammit 3, M. Castillo, J. Cassar .
Refs: R. Spiteri, A. Roberty.
Penalty sequence: D. Zammit (Sliema) saved; B. Plumpton (San Ġiljan) saved; L. Galea (S) saved; M. Zammit (SĠ) scored; J. Brownrigg (S) saved; A. Younger (SG) scored; B. Cachia (S) scored; N. Bugelli (SĠ) scored.
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