SLIEMA 11
VALLETTA 13
(1-3, 4-3, 2-4, 4-3)
SLIEMA
Z.Dzanovic, E. Schembri 3, L. Galea 3, J. Gambin 1, J. Cassar 1, B. Cachia 2, M. Soler, D. Rizzo, J. Brownrigg, A. Galea, J. Chircop, D. Zammit 1, B. Busuttil, S. Engerer.
VALLETTA
A. Bugeja, M. Mifsud 4, M. Carani 2, J. Sciberras, S. Busuttil 1, Z. Cutajar Licari, M. Zammit 2, I. Nagaev 3, K. Borg 1, K. Erdogan, M. Chircop, K. Cremona, G. Borg, L. Hyzler.
Refs: N. Mercieca, A. DeRaffaele.
SAN ĠILJAN 15
EXILES 8
(5-2, 2-1, 3-3, 5-2)
SAN ĠILJAN
M. Xerri, N. Bugelli, D. Tully 1, G. Bonavia 2, R. Caruana, L. Dimech 2, J. Bonavia 3, B. Plumpton 2, J. Abela 3, N. Zammit, N. Schiavone 2, Z. Attard, S. Cutajar
EXILES
A. Borg Cole, G. Gatt, Z. Micallef, D. Pace Lupi, M. Martelacci, M. Paris Roding, M. Fenech 4, K. Griscti 2, M. Naudi, K.Tanti, K. Navarro 1, L. Felice, G. Galea Curmi.
NEPTUNES 19
MARSASKALA 7
(5-3, 6-0, 3-3, 5-1)
NEPTUNES
Matthew Castillo, L. Mallia 2, S. Gialanze 4, A. Aquilina, M. Lanzon 2, J. Valletta 2, J. Pawley 2, L. Montebello Brownrigg, Mark Castillo 3, A. Fava 3, E. Mallia, M. Farrugia, R.Spiteri 1
MARSASKALA
A. Muscat, D. Ciantar 1, T. Fenech, J. Pace Mizzi, J. Simpson 3, R. Greco 1, M. Agius, E. Bilgin, K. Grech, G. Sammut 1, J. Ciantar, J. Colombo, L. Gatt, N. Spiteri 1.
Refs S. Licari, J. Cauchi.
SIRENS 19
BIRŻEBBUĠA 13
(6-2, 6-3,3-3, 4-5)
SIRENS
M. BonelLo Depuis, P. Serracino 2, Z. Mizzi 4, J. Cachia 2 , K. Agius 1, M. Ortoleva 2, I. Riolo 2, J. Zerafa Gregory, G. Farrugia 3, M. Sciberras , M. Azzopardi 2, I. Schembri, A. Dimech.
BIRŻEBBUĠA
S. Livori, M. Aquilina 2, M. Cassar 1, D. Incorvaja, S. Bezzina, M. Manara 2, J. Abdilla, N. Saliba 3, D. Farrugia 1, M. Cutajar 1, M. Mannino 3, M. Curmi , K. Manara, J. Saliba.
Refs: M. Angilleri, R. Spiteri.
Valletta produced a remarkably gritty display of waterpolo to surprise their illustrious opponents Sliema.
In the first session, Valletta forged ahead 3-1 with Matthew Mifsud helping himself to a hat-trick.
The match heated up as a contest in the second session with Mark Carani making it 4-2 for Valletta.
Sliema could have levelled the score when they were 4-3 down before Ivan Nagaev made it 6-5. At the start of the third session, Jamie Gambin levelled the score on 6-6.
Valletta continued to edge in front as the Blues fought back to stay in touch with their opponents.
Midway through the third session, Gambin was sent off on brutality as Nagaev scored a five-metre throw to give his side a decisive edge on 9-7.
But Sliema showed their true mettle when they clawed their way back into match as Liam Galea made it 11-11. But it was not over as Max Zammit and Nagaev applied the coup de grace in the final moments.
It was a match which had the result definitely sealed in the second session, the high points being the scoring opportunism of Sam Gialanze and Mark Castillo who netted seven goals between them for Neptunes and Marsaskala young goalkeeper Luigi Gatt who managed to save three penalties in the late stages.
A ‘balanced’ first session in which Neptunes edged the southseasiders 5-3. Six goals for Neptunes in the second eight-minute quarter made it a more familiar scoreline at the half-way mark.
The eight-goal margin in the Reds’ favour was maintained after the teams shared six goals in the third session. Five conversions on the spin in the last session put more gloss on Neptunes’ win.
Exiles stayed within reach of San Ġiljan for most of the match and it was a late surge which started at the end of the third session which finally proved to be the turning point.
The Saints owe their success mostly to Jeremy Abela and Jake Bonavia who both grabbed a hat-trick while the others came from Ben Plumpton, Gabriel Bonavia and Luigi Dimech all netting twice and Daniel Tully who put his name on the scoresheet in the first session.
It appeared quite balanced until just before the end of the third session with San Ġiljan leading 8-6.
But then Abela and Jake Bonavia made it 10-6.
In the last session, the team led Zeljko Kovacic opened a comfortable seven-goal lead before two late goals by the Sliema side made the scoreline look more respectable.
The scoreline of the match between Sirens and Birżebbuga assumed tennistic proportions at first, when the Northenders won the first two sessions 6-2, 6-3.
After, the teams shared six goals in the third session as Sirens maintained their seven-goal advantage.
In the end, Birżebbuga could only get some consoltion when they edged their opponents 5-4 in the last session.
