Sliema outlast Enka Sports Club to secure bronze medal in Challenger Cup

SLIEMA ASC   17

ENKA SPORTS CLUB 15

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

Sliema ASC became the first Maltese club to win a medal in a European club competition after they defeated Turkish side Enka SC 17-15 in the third-place play-off of the Challenger Cup in Istanbul on Sunday.

It was another gutsy display from Giannis Katrouzanakis’ men, who fought back from a difficult first session to go and turn the match around and ensure they return home with a prestigious third place in the European Aquatics club competition.

The match turned out to be a hard-fought affair in the first session, with Sliema managing to keep abreast for much of the opening session as goals from Jake Cachia (2), Julian Chircop, and Niccolo Gitto gave them a slender 4-3 lead.

But in the latter stages of the session, Enka seized control as they struck three times without reply to take a 6-4 lead.

 But Sliema were not ready to go down without a fight, and they managed to turn the match around in the second session as they gradually started to dominate the match, scoring six times through Aleksandar Ivovic, Sam Engerer, Jake Cachia, Gitto, Jayden Cassar, and Dino Zammit put the team 10-9 ahead when ends were changed.

Sliema kept up the pressure, and Enka were handed a double blow with the exclusions of Yusa Duzenli and Nesfet Ozbek.

The Blues started to be more prolific in front of goal as  quick-fire double from Liam Galea, along with goals from Ivovic, Cachia and Gitto, pushed them to a crucial 15-11 lead with just one session to go.

Enka tried to fight back in the final session, particularly as Sliema were hit hard by their indiscipline, with Ivovic and Gitto excluded with substitution in the opening three minutes and the Turkish side bridging the gap to just one goal at 15-14.

But Sliema’s resilience came to the fore as goals from Julian Chircop and Liam Galea (2) ensured they had a cushion three-goal lead in the final stages that enabled to take the result home.