Lethal Sliema win battle of giants

Sliema McDonald's and Neptunes Vodafone renewed their summer sporting rivalry in typical colourful fashion yesterday.

Sliema won this battle of giants primarily because they grinded their teeth and took their chances better against opponents who did not fully exploit their faster swimming.

Both teams had their foreign coaches on the bench with ex-Sliema player Igor Gocanin guiding the Blues and Sergio Afric the Reds, while Jonathan Valletta's presence after he recovered from his hand injury, was intended to be a morale-booster for Sliema.

With Neptunes opening the account through Steve Camilleri, Sliema scored three times to take a 3-1 lead before the Reds reduced the arrears in a balanced first quarter as both teams adopted stringent marking tactics.

Clint Debono, Tomas Varga and Michael Rizzo were Sliema's scorers with Niki Lanzon converting for Neptunes in between.

The Reds enjoyed an edge in the second session with their breaks unsettling Sliema. In fact, they overturned the scoreline thanks to three well-taken goals, two from Ivan Milakovic and the other from Karl Galea. Edward Aquilina had earlier resolved a fine break by the Blues.

Tactics varied from zone cover to press, especially in the vicinity of the firing area. Sliema fought back in the third session, with their opportunism on transforming man-up sets pegging back Neptunes who, on their part, had messed up four consecutive chances of numerical advantage.

Aquilina and John Soler put them in front before Steve Camilleri levelled matters but Mark Meli gave the Blues a 7-6 lead before the third session ended.

The last quarter grew to a crescendo as the contest continued to develop on tighter lines. The Blues won two penalties, both converted by Soler, which sandwiched Michele Stellini's seventh goal for the Balluta team. David Camilleri had been fouled out but Stellini narrowed the gap to 9-8.

The Blues continued with their high rate of success on man-ups when Soler breached the Reds' casual defensive lines. With Lanzon reducing the arrears to 10-9, 45 seconds from time, Neptunes recovered possession but Milakovic saw his hurried shot well saved by Josie Cachia.

Victories for Exiles and Marsascala

In yesterday's first match, Exiles Pender Gardens and Marsaxlokk Freeport figured in a balanced encounter which had both teams locked on an even scoreline for long stretches, with the evergreen John Paris and Sergei Frolov, both scorers of a poker, making their presence felt.

After the southerners took an early 2-0 lead, they were made to chase the scoreline until they regained the advantage on 10-8 with three minutes to go for the end.

It remained touch and go as Exiles levelled matters with 77 seconds left. David Pace Lupi resolved a man-up 41 seconds from time and that proved to be the winner as Marsaxlokk squandered a crucial man-up set in the dying seconds.

Besides confirming their stride forward in recent matches, Marsascala 7-Up's victory over Ta' Xbiex Mermaids Paradise also drove home the fact that in waterpolo, experience cannot substitute vitality. The youthful southseasiders had the latter quality in abundance as they stormed to a 12-7 victory.

Despite parading their new signing Roman Polacik, scorer of four goals, and John John Tabone, Ta' Xbiex were too pedantic to be of any source of worry to their sprightly opponents whose 5-0 base established in the first quarter, assured them of victory, never mind a mini-comeback by Ta' Xbiex in the third session.

With Marsascala starting the last session 10-5 ahead, they maintained the five-goal gap to ease their way to a comfortable victory. Mark Borg Spiteri and Fabio Valenti were again their shining beacons.

Exiles 11
Marsaxlokk 10
(1-2, 4-3, 3-2, 3-3)

Exiles: N. Imbroll, A. Borg Cole, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi 2, T. Sullivan, S. Cini, J. Paris 4, J. Cremona 2, K. Griscti, A. Cousin 3, G. Desira Buttigieg, F. Vassallo, M. Calleja.

Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici, G. Attard, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia 1, K. Farrugia, C. Bugeja, E. Pisani, D. Schembri 2, S. Frolov 4, K. Grima Scott 1, G. Ghirxi 2, G. Zammit, A. Sammut.

Refs: M. Caruana, A. DeRaffaele.

Ta' Xbiex 7
Marsascala 12
(0-5, 2-3, 3-2, 2-2)

Ta' Xbiex: A. Tanti, S. Meli, M. Manara, M. Galea Pace, C. D'Ugo, K. Sciortino, M. Camilleri, R. Polacik 4, J.J. Tabone 2, K. Engerer, C. Sciortino, J. Vella, D. Pisani 1.

Marsascala: I. Bugeja, J.C. Cutajar, S. Farrugia, A. Galea, M. Borg Spiteri 4, L. Griscti, F. Valenti 5, K. Enriquez, S. Micallef 2, R. Cutajar, D. Cassar 1, M. Borg, D. Ciappara.

Refs: I. Sciriha, R. Spiteri.

Sliema 10
Neptunes 9
(3-2, 1-3, 3-1, 3-3)

Sliema: J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina 2, M. Rizzo 1, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 4, T. Varga 1, J. Valletta, C. Debono 1, F. Cutajar, J. Gabaretta, D. Paolella, R. Coleiro.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 2, G. Sammut, K. Galea 1, J. Brownrigg, I. Milakovic 2, S. Camilleri 2, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, S. Gravina, R. Sciortino, M. Stellini 2, M. Pisani.

Refs: M. Dalli, P. Balzan.