Sirens win in dramatic fashion

Neptunes 10
Sirens 11
(4-2, 3-1, 2-3, 1-5)

Following their dramatic win over Neptunes, Sirens made a significant step towards wresting the championship crown from holders Sliema.

They staged a tremendous recovery in the last session to turn a 9-5 deficit to an 11-10 victory. It was a great comeback which showed the combative spirit of Sirens.

As for Neptunes, they are fast becoming the also-rans of the domestic game. It may be premature to write off their chances for the title, considering the astonishing volte face which is always possible when the top teams face each other.

But the Reds may have some important element missing. They don't seem to possess the gutsy spirit to keep the wind in their sails. They were moving smoothly until the third session and at one time were 9-5 ahead. But there just wasn't enough adrenalin in their system and things started going haywire for them as they had a possee of exclusions against them.

Sirens, exploited those vital situations to tilt the balance in their favour and thus punish the Reds.

The contest started on choking press from both sides, with Lanzon eluding his shadower to flick in, but Jurgen Borg beat the possession time to lob in for an equaliser. Pisani exploited a break to make it 2-1 for the Reds. Cauchi converted a man-up to level matters. David Camilleri profitted from a similar situation to give Neptunes a 3-2 lead, before Lanzon only just anticipated session time to beat Caruan Dingli with a scorcher from Neptunes' own half.

The Balluta team were streaking away on breaks and Camilleri was surprisingly away on the left to put his team 5-2 ahead. Farrugia reduced the gap from the centre before Neptunes lost their second man-up. Lanzon reached his hat-trick from a penalty.

The Reds failed to convert their third man-up in succession but managed to score the next through Zammit.

Neptunes were playing tactically better, but there was still a long way to go as the teams changed ends.

Sirens could not quite draw dividends on breaks off the trailing Galea. Neptunes lost another man-up which proved costly as Walter Degiorgio converted a six on five situation to make it 7-4.

Degiorgio picked up a loose ball on a rebound to make it 7-5. Lanzon netted a great goal off a Pisani pass for an 8-5 advantage. Seconds later Zammit converted a man-up to make it 9-5.

Neptunes' deep block on a man down again foiled Sirens but Jonathan Valletta managed to breach that defensive curtain on the next exclusion against Neptunes. It was 9-6 with the last session to go, but Valletta was on his third personal fault. So was David Camilleri.

But, Cutajar and Degiorgio cut the gap to 9-8 with 5.28 showing on the watch. It was Michele Stellini's turn to convert an extra-man advantage for his team. Jurgen Borg did likewise for a 10-9 scoreline.

Tension was brewing as there were expulsions galore. Montfort had also been expelled for good.

However, Cutajar levelled the score on 10-10 with 105 seconds left. With Neptunes losing their concentration, Sirens kept upping their game and Chris Cauchi eluded his shadower to swivel the ball in from six metres.

Neptunes won an exclusion with 31 seconds left but lost possession on a controversial 'ball under decision'. But Sirens could not be denied. A great revival in the last session won them the day.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon (4), S. Camilleri, K. Galea, E. Cachia, J. Brownrigg, G. Sammut, C. Zammit (2), D. Camilleri (2), M. Azzopardi, A. Sammut, M. Stellini (1), M. Pisani (1), S. Gravina.

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, C. Spiteri De Barro, K. Rizzo Naudi, J. Rizzo Naudi, C. Cauchi (2), J. Valletta (1), J. Borg (2), D. Cutajar (2), K. Montfort, W. Degiorgio (3), S. Cachia, J. Farrugia (1), N. Cassar, R. D'Amato, N. Imbroll.

Refs: M. Dalli, M. Caruana.

ASA Youths 10
Otters 4
(3-0, 1-2, 3-1, 3-1)

Playing without some regular components, the ASA Youth team managed to pull away from the Gozitan team. Otters ASC, despite lacking the fluidity so evident in some of the previous outings.

Otters did put some resistance in the first part of the game, before ends were changed. But after having no fewer than three players expelled for good, after showing dissent, Otters went to pieces, thus enabling Anthony Farrugia's men to run clear winners.

The third and fourth session turned out to be decisive as the ASA team stretched their mid-third session advantage from 4-3 to seal their victory on a 10-4 scoreline.

ASA Youths: A. Sammut, M. Vella, G. Lubrano, B. Borg (2), M. Meli (2), A. Bianchi (3), M. Brownrigg, J. Rizzo Naudi, G. Bartolo, S. Gravina (1), D. Paolella, M. Zammit (1), C. Bonello (1).

Otters: A. Sciberras, J. Cefai, G.L. Zammit, S. Grech (2), D. Saliba, C. Zammit, P. Saliba (2), K. Mizzi, D. Zammit, R. Grech, J. Cassar, J. Mercieca, K. Vella.

Refs: A. Fenech, M. Ancilleri.