Sliema outpower Sirens to stay top, comprehensive win for Neptunes

Rivals Sliema and Neptunes began their second-round campaigns with commanding victories, reaffirming their title credentials. The Blues maintained their pristine opening to stay at the top of the standings, while the Reds produced the most emphatic win of the season to date.

Angelos Vlachopoulos’s influence on Sliema continued to grow as the Greek sharpshooter delivered a five-star performance to help his side comfortably dispatch Sirens. The Northenders were always chasing the game and never truly looked capable of staging an upset.

Ranko Perović’s team managed to stay within touching distance in the opening quarter, but Vlachopoulos took control in the middle sessions, scoring five goals to push Sliema firmly out of reach.

Liam Galea and Benji Cachia also made early contributions, each scoring a hat-trick in the first half to give the Blues a solid cushion, as they went into the halftime break with a 9-6 lead.

In the latter stages, Jayden Cutajar, Dino Zammit and Jayden Cassar added their names to the scorers’ list as Nicolas Bicari kept fighting for Sirens.

On a less positive note, Sliema’s John Brownrigg appears to have suffered a fresh injury setback, shortly after returning from a long-term issue that had kept him out for an extended period.

Earlier, Neptunes completed the scoring formalities against Valletta, winning by 23 goals to nine, the biggest victory so far in the competition.

The chasm between the two sides was evident from the outset.

With youngsters Andreas Buhagiar, Benji Schranz, Enrico and Luigi Mallia being given an extended time in the water, Neptunes’ game on the break kept flourishing.

By the end of the third quarter, Gergo Zalanki scored five goals as Stevie Camilleri and Alan Fenech had both netted a hat-trick.

There was no respite from Neptunes as they kept whipping away the goals to make it a mammoth victory.

SIRENS 11

SLIEMA 18

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

SIRENS: J. Parnis, P. Serracino, N. Bicari 4, P. Borg 1, J. Cachia 1, K. Agius 3, M. Ortoleva 1, I. Riolo , J. Zerafa Gregory , M. Sciberras , Z. Mizzi, G. Farrugia 1, M. Bonello Dupius, G. Pace.

SLIEMA: N.Grixti, E. Schembri 1, L. Galea 3, S. Engerer, J. Cassar 1 , B. Cachia 4, J. Cutajar 2, D. Rizzo, J. Brownrigg, A. Galea 1, A. Vlachopulos 5 , D. Zammit 1, B. Busuttil, J. Chircop.

Refs: L. Iacovelli, A. De Raffaele.

VALLETTA 9

NEPTUNES 23

(1-4,2-5, 3-8, 3-6)

VALLETTA: A. Bugeja, M. Mifsud 2, M. Carani, J. Sciberras, S. Busuttil, J. Colombo, M. Zammit, I. Nagaev 5, K. Borg, K. Erdogan 1, M. Chircop 1, K. Cremona, G. Borg.

NEPTUNES: M. Castillo, S. Gialanze 4, G. Zalanki 5, L. Mallia 1 , J. Camilleri 2, A. Buhagiar 1, S. Camilleri 4, M. Castillo 1, B. Schranz 1, J. Bajada , A. Fenech 3, M. Azzopardi 1, M. Rossi, E. Mallia.

Refs: P. Balzan, W. Isaia.

TA’ XBIEX          14

BIRŻEBBUĠA 15

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

TA’ XBIEX: T. Schembri, J. Farrugia, L. Grech Carr 2, J. Zammit, M. Manara, F. Scardino 2; R. Pelicaric 7, N. Bonavia 3; J. Culic, Z. Bartolo, M. Naudi, A. Theuma, S. Van Wyk.

BIRŻEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, M. Aquilina 1, M. Cassar, N. Bursac 4, J. Ciantar 3, J. Falzon, J. Abdilla, N. Saliba 1, D. Farrugia, M. Cutajar 2, M. Mannino 2, N. Bugelli 2, S. Livori, J. Saliba.