First win for Saints

San Giljan 7
(3-2, 0-0, 1-2, 3-2)
Ta' Xbiex 6

A well-taken Ian Azzopardi goal, 11 seconds from time, gave San Giljan their first win of the competition in a highly-balanced and entertaining match played behind closed doors following Saturday's incident when a referee was hit with a hard object and the Sliema-Sirens match abandoned before the last session got underway.

Although San Giljan won the game by just one goal, their experience made the difference on the day. Patrick Cachia was in fine form for them. He opened the score from a man-up situation early on. But Ta' Xbiex equalised when from another man-up, Peter Paollella beat Dirk Debono with a crisp shot.

Cachia, playing as a centre to fill the void left by Matthew Zammit, made it 2-1 and soon after the former Sliema stalwart added another goal for his team. Frank Testa pulled one back for Ta' Xbiex before the end of the first session.

No goals were scored in the next session with Ta' Xbiex having the better in the third thanks to goals from Testa and Duncan Schembri. Cachia scored San Giljan's only goal in this quarter.

The final session saw Schembri putting Ta' Xbiex in the lead for the first time in the match. Silvio Borg, however, soon restored parity for San Giljan before Cachia put his team back in the driving seat.

Schembri, although tightly marked, showed his true mettle when levelling matters at six-all.

But then Azzopardi won the day for San Giljan, his calibrated push-shot having the better of the opponents' keeper.

San Giljan: K. Schembri, K. D'Ugo, S. Mercieca, C. Bonello, P. Cachia (5), I. Azzopardi (1), J. Camilleri, G. Farrugia, A. Borda, S. Borg (1), M. Pace, K. Grima Scott, A. Borda, J. Spiteri.

Ta' Xbiex: D. Debono, G. Attard, E. Pisani, K. Sciortino, C. D'Ugo, A. Fero, J. Zammit, D. Schembri (3), T. Boyd, S. Balzan, W. Privitera, F. Testa (2), P. Dimech, C. Sciortino, P. Paolella (1).

Refs: Ancilleri, De Raffaele.

Sliema 13
(2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 4-2)
ASA Youths 5

Sliema: J. Cachia, J.J. Tabone, E. Aquilina, M. Galea Pace (1), M. Meli (3), J. Soler (2), J. Paris (4), K. Engerer, C. Debono (1), F. Cutajar, I. Muscat (1), A. Bianchi, D. Paolella (1).

ASA Youths: R. Coleiro, S. Camilleri (3), L. Griscti, C. Bonello, A. Bianchi (1), A. Borda, J. Rizzo Naudi, J. Brownrigg, J. Gravina, M. Borg Spiteri (1), M. Vella, J. Spiteri.

Refs: Balzan, Sciriha.