Sliema overcome gritty San Giljan

Sliema 10
(3-1, 3-1, 2-2, 2-2)
San Giljan 6

After an eight-month absence of competitive waterpolo, this year prolonged due to the cancellation of the Winter League, the curtains went up on a new summer season yesterday evening.

Champions Sliema Burger King, seeking an unprecedented fifth title in a row, and San Giljan set the ball spinning and the National Pool splashing as the Preliminary Round got underway.

The evening programme, scheduled to be completed under the floodlights for the first time, started with the Blues flexing their muscles when disposing of the Saints by ten goals to six. Sliema's Serbian coach Jubisa Mekcic put in the water a largely unedited team, utilising John Soler and John Paris very sparsely.

The Blues had an edge over opponents who relied mostly on the strong Matthew Zammit in the hole. The champions got off to a 3-1 start with an identical scoreline in the second session making it 6-2 in their favour.

San Giljan, for whom Kayne Lanzon was making his debut, tried hard to keep within striking distance and with the Blues missing four man-up chances, the Saints' deficit midway in the third session was limited to two goals.

But Edward Aquilina attained his hat-trick and the score was 8-4 in his team's favour before the last quarter started.

The gritty Saints did not throw in the towel and soon pulled back two goals before Aquilina, again, and Andrea Bianchi gave the champions a more respectable-looking win.

Sliema: J. Cachia, D. Paolella 1, E. Aquilina 4, M. Manara, M. Meli 1, J. Soler, J. Paris 1, K. Engerer, C. Debono, F. Cutajar, R. Coleiro, G. Lubrano, A. Bianchi 3.

San Giljan: K. Schembri, K. Lanzon 1, K. D' Ugo, C. Bonello 1, G. Ghirxi 1, M. Zammit 2, I. Azzopardi, I. Camilleri, D. Farrugia, M. Pace, S. Borg, J. Spiteri, K. Grima Scott 1.

Refs: Mario Dalli, Miro Caruana.

Sirens 15
(3-1, 4-1, 3-1, 5-1)
Valletta 4

Sirens opened their league campaign with an expected victory over Valletta who this season have re-engaged, after an absence of over a decade, Mario Zammit whose career blossomed within the ranks of the City team.

Soon after the start of the match, the floodlights were inadvertently turned on only to be put off a few minutes later. This experiment of playing matches under artificial light is intended to draw bigger crowds in the cool evening.

The superiority of Sirens was unquestioned and after going 3-1 ahead by the end of the first session they built up a 7-2 advantage by the halfway mark.

Valletta, under the tutelage of Anthony Farrugia, could not keep up the pace against faster and more powerful opponents. In fact they could offer little more than generosity.

In the third session, play was stopped on the request of Massimo Ancilleri who probably complained of the glare coming from the opposite direction where the lights were on.

Floodlights were turned on again but by then Sirens lost some of their earlier drive through a number of missed opportunities, mostly on open play. At least they kept their opponents at more than an arms length and their 15-4 victory mirrored the undisputed edge they had. Jonathan Valletta, four goals, and Karl Rizzo Naudi and Chris Cauchi, three each, were Sirens' top scorers.

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, A. Grech, J. Rizzo Naudi 1, K. Rizzo Naudi 3, C. Cauchi 3, J. Valletta 4, J. Borg 1, D. Cutajar 1, K. Montfort 1, R. Attard, D. Debono, C. Mercieca, N. Cassar 1.

Valletta: E. Arrigo, R. D'Amato, Mauro Camilleri, Marco Camilleri, C. Zarb Adami, D. Saliba, A. Galea, J. Farrugia, D. Shaw, C. Saliba 1, P. Bonnici, M. Zammit 3, E. Pisani.

Refs: Mario Dalli, Massimo Ancilleri.

Playing today: 6 p.m. Neptunes vs Marsaxlokk; 7 p.m. Marsascala vs Exiles.