San Ġiljan brush aside Sirens to reach final
Another controversial referee decision overshadowed the finale of Game One from the league semi-final between Neptunes and Sliema after defending champions San Ġiljan had eased past Sirens to reach this season’s league final.
The episode leading to the protests was the last act of pulsating match which saw Neptunes prevail 19-18 on penalties, to draw the series 1-1.
Andreas Galea was about to take Sliema’s seventh penalty in a long sequence which saw both sides scoring their first six penalties. Jake Muscat scored his five-metre throw to make it 19-18. But Galea delayed his throw and referee Peter Balzan blocked him, thus awarding the win to Neptunes.
Apart from this decision that overshadowed the match, Neptunes staged an incredible late rally in the last session to come back from 11-9 down and take a 12-11 lead, before Jayden Cutajar scored a last-gasp draw.
The two sides will now meet on Saturday for the third and final match.
Sliema led 3-1 after the first session with Dino Zammit scoring a brace and Benji Cachia netting the other. Steve Camilleri had reduced the arrears temporarily for Neptunes.
However, the partial score in the next session was locked on two goals apiece with Sliema leading 5-3 by the half-way stage.
Alec Fenech trimmed the leeway to 5-4. Jake Muscat levelled matters, before two goals from Giacomo Cannella restored Sliema’s two-goal lead.
With Camilleri reaching his hat-trick in the third session, Andreas Galea beat the buzzer with a goal from the imaginary halfway line.
Kholod reduced the leeway again, but Liam Galea restored again the two-goal cushion for Sliema before Zammit made it 10-7.
In the opening minutes of the last quarter, Neptunes closed the gap on 10-9 with Sam Gialanze and Kholod completing his hat-trick with a five-metre throw.
The Blues’ expertise in preserving their lead was in doubt as the Reds staged a bold recovery. Cannella made it 11-9 but three goals without reply by Kholod, Gialanze and Jordan Camilleri gave Neptunes the lead for the first time in the match.
With 16 seconds left, Jayden Cutajar made it 12-12. Matthew Castillo then pulled off a great save on Gialanze to take the match to a penalty showdown.
Drama was extended to a penalty shoot-out with referee Peter Balzan stopping Andreas Galea from taking the penalty as he delayed his shot, thus giving Neptunes the victory.
Earlier, San Ġiljan unleashed their weapons to make it a comfortable victory over Sirens and book a berth in the final of the play-offs series.
The Saints eased away for a 3-1 lead in the opening quarter of the match. The battling northerners tried to limit the damage but San Ġiljan extended their advantage to five goals before the change of ends.
It was free-wheeling for San Ġiljan in the third session as the gap widened with Nikolai Zammit, Jeremy Abela Aaron Younger supplying the fuel and craft as well as the bulk of goals.
Sirens reacted to end their season on a positive note as they won the last session 2-1.
SAN ĠILJAN 14
SIRENS 7
(3-1, 4-1, 6-3, 1-2)
SIRENS: M. Bonello Dupuis, P. Serracino, J. Chircop, P. Borg, J. Cachia 1, K. Agius, D. Merkulov 2, I. Riolo, J. Zerafa Gregory, G. Farrugia 1, M. Sciberras 3, M. Azzopardi, J. Parnis, M. Ortoleva.
SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, N. Bugelli, D. Tully, R. Caruana, A. Younger 4, M. Zammit 1, J. Bonavia, J. Zammit, J. Abela 4, N. Zammit 5, D. Zammit, N. Schiavone, G. Borg, G. Bonavia
Refs: P. Balzan, F. Romolini.
NEPTUNES 12
SLIEMA 12
(1-3, 2-2, 4-5, 5-2; Neptunes win 19-18 after penalties)
Penalty Sequence: S. Camilleri (Neptunes) scored; D. Zammit (Sliema) scored; J. Muscat (N) scored; A. Galea (S) scored; A. Fenech (N) scored; L. Galea (S) scored; S. Gialanze (N) scored; B. Cachia (S) scored; D. Kholod (N) scored; J. Cutajar (S) scored; S. Camilleri (N) scored; D. Zammit (S) scored; J. Muscat (N) scored; A. Galea (S) fouled out.
NEPTUNES: A. Borg Cole, D. Kholod 4, S. Gialanze 2, G. Pace, J. Camilleri 1, L. Mallia, S. Camilleri 3, S. Castillo, J. Muscat 1, J. Bajada , A. Fenech 1, E. Mallia, M. Rossi, D. Bugeja.
SLIEMA: N. Grixti, E. Schembri, L. Galea 2, J. Gambin, G. Cannella 4, B. Cachia 1, J. Cutajar 1, D. Rizzo, J. Brownrigg , A. Galea 1, S. Engerer, D. Zammit 3, M. Castillo, J. Cassar.
Refs P. Balzan, S. Pinata.
