Neptunes, Sirens can't afford to lose

Neptunes Vodafone and Go Mobile Sirens will be seeking to revive their championship fortunes this weekend when they face off in a decisive clash as the campaign heads to its final straight.

Following last weekend's results, one point is separating the three major title challengers as the first round came to a close with Sliema and Neptunes sharing top spot on 19 points and Sirens one adrift.

Mathematically, Marsascala, on the 16-point mark, are still in the reckoning but it will take them a miracle to defy the odds and land their first championship since 1997.

The clash of the weekend is scheduled for this afternoon when Neptunes and Sirens will be looking to return to winning ways after finishing on the losing end in their previous matches.

Tony Camilleri's Reds are currently passing through a disappointing spell as two successive defeats jolted their title aspirations. Neptunes, who last won the league in 1993, saw a three-point lead at the top vanishing in thin air in a matter of a few days.

Against Marsascala last Saturday, the Balluta Bay team was again found wanting in man-up sets, converting a meagre five from 11.

On the other hand, their defence left much to be desired in such occasions as their opponents converted seven from eight.

Camilleri may lament that Karl Galea's unexpected forfeit has greatly upset his plans but today he will be urging his players for an improvement as they face a Sirens' side eager to bounce back from last Sunday's defeat to Sliema.

Against Sliema, Bruno Cofino's men were let down by their erratic play which condemned them to a 10-6 defeat. The St Paul's Bay team, who came under heavy fire from their shrewd Italian coach, have yet to beat Neptunes this summer after a draw in the preliminary round and a 9-7 upset in the opening round of the second phase.

Today, Sirens will again look on the talents of their prolific duo Paul Privitera and Jonathan Valletta to notch the all-important win that could put them on top of the standings... at least for 24 hours before the Sliema-Marsascala match tomorrow.

The Blues, with John Soler in fine form, seem to have reached their peak at the right moment, two successive wins over Neptunes and Sirens steering the team to the top.

Tomorrow they start favourites to land maximum spoils even though the buoyant Marsascala may have other ideas.

Although Sliema should prove too strong for the side coached by the affable Pierre Borg, they know too well from past experience that the southerners are not a team to take lightly... without doubt there's no room for complacency now as the campaign enters a crucial phase.