While the result had no bearing on their final league standing – with Neptunes locked into third place and a playoff semi-final spot – this victory carried significant weight in terms of morale. A derby win over fierce rivals Sliema is always special, and this thrilling encounter was no exception.
In a match that had everything – momentum swings, standout individual performances, and late drama – Neptunes initially looked in control, only to be pegged back by a spirited Sliema comeback.
But it was captain Stevie Camilleri who ultimately made the difference.
Leading by example, he delivered a masterclass performance, scoring six crucial goals to guide his team to a morale-boosting 16-15 win that will surely fuel belief ahead of the post-regular-season.
Sliema failed to capitalise on their first two man-up opportunities, but Dino Zammit eventually broke the deadlock on their third attempt.
The Reds, however, showed no signs of backing down, responding with resilience each time they fell behind.
Sam Gialanze brought the scores level at 1-1, and, although Liam Galea put Sliema back in front with a fortunate strike that deflected in off the goalkeeper’s head, Mathias Azzopardi quickly restored parity once again.
It took a moment of brilliance from Angelos Vlachopoulos, a powerful 10-metre throw that sailed past Matthew Castillo, to give Sliema a slender lead by the end of the opening quarter.
Defensively, Sliema were remarkably disciplined, conceding just one man-up situation during the first session, which carried over into the second quarter.
An advantage that was carried over into the second, but failed to yield a goal.
However, Neptunes capitalised on their next two man-up opportunities, with Stevie Camilleri first finding the net, followed shortly by his brother Jordan, giving the Reds their first lead of the game.
Despite strong winds blowing in Sliema’s favour, Neptunes remained composed.
Sam Gialanze extended their lead to 5-3, but Liam Galea reignited Sliema’s hopes with a well-taken goal to cut the deficit to one.
Jamie Gambin then made a crucial steal off Enrico Mallia, setting up a double man-up opportunity for the Blues.
However, they failed to convert, as Mallia redeemed himself with a key block, and Gergo Zalanki punished the miss by restoring Neptunes’ two-goal cushion.
The Reds then squandered a man-up chance of their own, prompting visible frustration from club president Matthew Bonello on the stands.
Sliema made them pay moments later, with Dino Zammit blasting in a powerful strike to pull the Blues back within reach. By half-time, Neptunes were 6-5 up in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest.
Neptunes seized control early in the third session, opening up a three-goal lead for the first time in the match with a quick-fire double from Gergo Zalanki and Stevie Camilleri – a turning point that shifted the momentum firmly in their favour.
Jayden Cutajar responded to end his personal scoring drought and narrow the gap to 8-6, followed by a composed finish from Angelos Vlachopoulos to keep the pressure on. But Camilleri, in inspired form, completed his hat-trick to restore Neptunes’ two-goal cushion.
Sliema appeared to have squandered yet another man-up opportunity, but Ben Cachia atoned for an earlier mistake with a vital goal to bring it to 10-9.
Neptunes then responded with a sharp finish from Mark Castillo and a clever lob from Zalanki, extending their lead to 11-8.
Jamie Gambin refused to give up the fight, pulling one back for the Blues, but a penalty conceded by Daniel Rizzo on Jordan Camilleri allowed Neptunes to maintain their edge.
As the quarter drew to a close, Dino Zammit beat the buzzer with a last-gasp goal, keeping Sliema within touching distance at 12-10 heading into the final session.
Liam Galea converted a five-metre throw to bring Sliema within one, as Neptunes failed to capitalise on yet another man-up situation. They were made to pay dearly when Elijah Schembri struck to level the score at 12-all, sending the Sliema crowd into a frenzy.
Then, in classic fashion, Galea spun around his marker and beat Matthew Castillo with a brilliant backhand, handing Sliema their first lead since early in the second quarter.
But Neptunes weren’t finished yet.
Alec Fenech responded immediately to make it 13-13.
Coach Giannis Katrouzanakis called a timeout to regroup his side, but the opportunity was wasted – and Jordan Camilleri punished the miss with a clinical finish.
The tension rose further as Mathias Azzopardi was excluded for the remainder of the match after picking up his third personal fault, joining team-mates Julian Valletta and Sam Gialanze on the sidelines.
Sliema’s press backfired when Gergo Zalanki surged forward, forcing Dino Zammit to concede a penalty to stop him. Stevie Camilleri stepped up and made no mistake, putting Neptunes ahead 15-13 ahead.
Angelos Vlachopoulos kept Sliema’s hopes alive, and with Luigi Mallia excluded, the Blues made full use of the man-up as Jamie Gambin struck to level it at 15-15.
But there was no stopping Stevie Camilleri.
Rising from the water, he powered in his fifth goal of the match to give Neptunes a 16-15 lead with just 24 seconds remaining.
In a bold final move, Katrouzanakis substituted his goalkeeper for an extra outfield player in a desperate attempt to equalise. Yet Neptunes held firm, sealing a dramatic and hard-fought derby victory.
Earlier on, Exiles ensured a fifth-place finish in their return season to the Premier Division, wrapping up their campaign with a third consecutive victory over arch-rivals Valletta.
The clean sweep against Valletta is a small consolation, however, as they ultimately fell short of securing a play-off berth.
Still, Nicky Lanzon’s side deserves credit for proving to be a formidable challenge throughout the season.
Despite a rocky start in their encounter – with Valletta taking an early lead – Exiles quickly asserted control.
Apart from a brief resurgence by Valletta in the third session, Exiles remained composed, keeping their opponents at bay and managing the game with maturity.
Konstantin Averka took on a more defensive role than usual, tasked with shadowing Valletta’s Ivan Nagaev. Even so, Averka still finished as joint top scorer, sharing the honours with Nagaev and Matteo Martelacci – each netting three goals.
MARSAXLOKK 22
TA’XBIEX 19
(7-2, 5-6, 4-4, 6-7)
MARSAXLOKK: J. Micallef, M. Lanzon 1, N. Bogdanovic 9, A. Aquilina 1, Z. Cutajar Licari, S. Mifsud 4, J. Pawley, R. Galea 3, J. Borg Tabone 1, A. Fava, A. Cook 3, M. Brimmer, B. Lewis, R. Spiteri.
TA’ XBIEX: T. Schembri, J. Farrugia, A. Camenzuli, L. Grech Carr, A. Formosa, M. Manara, F. Scardino 6, R. Pelcaric 9, N. Bonavia 1, J. Culic 2, Z. Bartolo 1, M. Naudi, A. Thuema, S. Van Wyk.
Refs: N. Mercieca, A. Paoletti.
EXILES 14
VALLETTA 10
(4-1, 2-2, 4-4, 4-3)
EXILES: A. Borg Cole, G. Gatt 2, Z. Micallef, D. Pace Lupi, T. Agius, M. Martelacci 3, M. Fenech 1, K. Griscti 1, K. Averka 3, K. Tanti 1, K. Navarro, D. Zahra 2, G. Galea Curmi, L. Hyzler.
VALLETTA: A. Bugeja, M. Mifsud, M. Carani 1, J. Sciberras 1, S. Busuttil, J. Colombo, M. Zammit 3, I. Nagaev 3, K. Borg, K. Erdogan 1, M. Chircop, K. Cremona, G. Borg.
Refs: M. Savino, A. DeRaeffaele.
SLIEMA 15
NEPTUNES 16
(3-2, 2-4, 5-6, 5-4)
SLIEMA: N.Grixti, E. Schembri 1, L. Galea 3, J. Gambin 2, J. Cassar , B. Cachia 1, J. Cutajar 1, D. Rizzo, J. Brownrigg, A. Vlachopulos 3, D. Zammit 3, B. Busuttil, J. Chricop, S. Engerer.
NEPTUNES: Matthew Castillo, S. Gialanze 2, G. Zalanki 3, L. Mallia , J. Camilleri 2, J. Valletta , S. Camilleri 6, Mark Castillo 1, B. Schranz, J. Bajada , A. Fenech 1, M. Azzopardi 1, M. Rossi, E. Mallia.
Refs: A. Paoletti, R. Spiteri.
