Neptunes woke up to their responsibilities to inflict the first defeat, albeit on penalties, on San Ġiljan.
The Saints appeared to be in control in the opening sessions when they distanced themselves by four goals on 8-4 before the change of ends, and by five on 9-5 at the beginning of the third session.
But a decisive turnaround which tilted the balance in Neptunes’ favour happened at the end of the second quarter when San Giljan custodian Jake Tanti was excluded on the three personal faults.
Both goalkeepers were generally safe in the opening session in which the Saints shaded it 2-1 with their blocking more efficient than that of Neptunes. But their ruthless press proved costly in expulsion terms.
The profligacy of Neptunes was very evident in the opening two sessions, mostly on their man-up sets which they capitalised only once out of five occasions.
To complicate matters, the Reds also missed two penalties.
It was all San Ġiljan in the second quarter as they made the most of their openings to take a four-goal lead.
The brimstone was supplied by Aaron Younger who collected a hat-trick, also contriving to have a penalty saved by the solid Alan Borg Cole.
The drama reached a climax at the end of the second session with San Ġiljan turning around the ball confidently, Tanti was pulled up for the third after committing the third penalty.
Although the Saints opened a five-goal lead through Jake Bonavia at the start of the third session, Neptunes showed improvements. They pulled back on 9-8 through a five-metre throw by Dimitrii Kholod, after the Reds had changed their penalty-taker for a third time.
At the other end, San Ġiljan missed a double man-up situation when Steve Camilleri and Gabriel Pace were expelled but Borg Cole blocked Jeremy Abela’s close-range effort.
Yet, the former Neptunes’ centre lifted the Saints’ spirits with an exquisite backhand to put San Ġiljan 10-8 ahead at the end of the third session.
The Saints may have been justified when betraying signs of apprehension at the start of the fourth session when their 9-5 advantage was reduced to 10-9 by Camilleri and then, Alec Fenech restored the equilibrium with a long-range shot.
Fenech quickly went from hero to zero after committing a penalty from which Younger made it 11-10.
But Neptunes were not to be denied on Saturday as Kholod hit a rasping shot to level matters again.
At the start of the shoot-out, Neptunes coach Aleksandar Ciric sprung a surprise, putting between the goalposts for the first two penalties reserve goalkeeper Marco Rossi. Nikolai Zammit missed the decisive penalty when he hit the frame as San Ġiljan succumbed to the first defeat of the season.
In the third match, Sliema gave Birżebbuga a flimsy goal-start before completing the formalities with a 24 -12 win over their opponents.
There was nothing the southerners could do against the leaders, who thrived on their swimming and powerful shooting to send Matthew Sladden’s net bulging with regularity in that opening session.
It was 10-5 halfway through, after which the Sliema coach Giannis Katrouzanakis made a number of changes.
Yet there was no respite in the scoring rate, with Jayden Cutajar hitting in goal no. 20.
In the end, Sliema scored 24 goals with their chief scorer Dino Zammit netting five goals.
RESULTS
EXILES 15
TA XBIEX 8
(3-0, 6-1, 2-1, 4-6)
EXILES: Z. Dzanovic, Z. Cutajar Licari, Z. Micallef, D. Pace Lupi, M. Martelacci 2, N. Bonavia 1, D. Gogov 4, K. Griscti 2, N. Paris, K. Tanti 2, M. Fenech 3, N. Saliba, G. Galea Curmi, S. Cutajar Casha 1.
TA XBIEX: J. Micallef, J. Farrugia, V. Figliomeni, L. Grech Carr 1, F. Scardino 3, M. Jelaca 1, J. Saliba 1, M. Naudi, M. Soler, J. Culic 1, G. Gatt, P. Tabone, A. Thuema, T. Fenech 1.
Refs J. Cauchi, A. Cavallini.
SAN ĠILJAN 15
NEPTUNES 16
(1-2, 3-6, 4-2, 3-1; Neptunes win 16-15 on penalties)
SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, N. Bugelli, D. Tully, R. Caruana, A. Younger 4, M. Zammit, J. Bonavia 2, J. Zammit, J. Abela1, N. Zammit 2, D. Zammit 1, N. Schiavone 1, G. Borg, G. Bonavia.
NEPTUNES: A. Borg Cole, D. Kholod 2, S. Gialanze , G. Pace, J. Camilleri, L. Mallia, S. Camilleri 3, M. Castillo, J. Muscat 3, J. Bajada 1, A. Fenech 2, E. Mallia, M. Rossi, D. Bugeja.
Refs: F. Brasiliano, A. DeRaffaele.
Penalty Sequence:
S. Camilleri (Neptunes) scored 11-12; M. Zammit (SĠ) scored 12-12; D. Kholod (N) scored 12-13; N. Bugelli (SG) scored 13-13; J. Muscat (N) scored 13-14; A. Younger (SĠ) scored 14-14; S. Gialanze (N) scored 14-15; D. Zammit (SĠ) scored 15-15; A. Fenech (N) scored 15-16; N. Zammit (SĠ) saved 15-16.
SLIEMA 24
BIRŻEBBUĠA 12
(7-3, 3-2, 6-4, 8-3)
SLIEMA: N. Grixti, E. Schembri 2, L. Galea 3, J. Gambin 1, G. Cannella 4, B. Cachia, J. Cutajar 2, D. Rizzo 1, J. Brownrigg, S. Engerer, Z. Mizzi 2, D. Zammit 5, M. Castillo, J. Cassar 4.
BIRŻEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, M. Aquilina, N. Cassar 3, B. Grech 1, S. Bezzina, M. Manara, A. Barroso 6, M. Cassar, D. Farrugia, M. Cutajar, M. Mannino 1, M. Curmi 1, S. Livori, D. Incorvaja.
Refs: A. Cavalini, S. Licari.
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