Sliema's revenge as Saints lose influential player

San Giljan 6
Sliema 14
(2-5, 0-3, 3-2, 1-4)

A moment of folly by San Giljan Zara's influential player Matthew Zammit early in the second session proved costly as the Saints' player was excluded without substitution for four minutes for violent play, thus severely curtailing his team's chances of recovery.

San Giljan were 5-2 in arrears at that moment and fighting hard to stay in the game against a charged-up Sliema McDonalds who looked dead-set on banishing their unexpected defeat against the Saints three weeks earlier.

With Tamas Varga displaying all his skills, Sliema secured a solid platform through a 9-2 advantage, a lead which the Blues sat on momentarily before again driving home their superiority against a thin and depleted squad.

Marco Cuk's scoring skills, which helped him net all his team's goals, were not enough. He was superseded by Varga for Sliema who netted seven times yesterday.

Cuk drew first blood but Sliema were soon 2-1 ahead through a Mark Meli brace. Sliema extended their lead through Edward Aquilina and Varga as the Blues continued rev-ving. Cuk cut the leeway 4-2 from a penalty only for Varga to restore a three-goal advantage.

An incident soon after the restart had Zammit sent off without substitution for elbowing an opponent and a penalty awarded to Sliema which Varga converted.

The Saints player may have been harshly sent off before he elbowed his opponent but he could never be condoned when he tried to approach the referee in a violent manner only to be restrained by his colleagues.

Sliema profited to score three times for an 8-2 lead. This was extended to 9-2 and, with Zammit missing, the Saints could not hope beyond limiting the damage as the Blues looked by far the stronger outfit despite Cuk's three consecutive goals in the third session.

Clint Debono netted for a 10-5 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

The irrepressible Varga picked his spot again for goal no.11 and then once more from the penalty for a 12-5 lead for his team. Jonathan Valletta made it 13-5 with Cuk reducing the deficit.

Obviously, the contest had nothing more to offer after that fateful incident and Daniel Paolella could close his team's account.

Sliema have thus joined Neptunes at the top of the standings with the latter having a game in hand.

San Giljan: K. Schembri, C. Spiteri de Barro, A. Galea, C. Bonello, E. Cachia, M. Zammit, M. Cuk 6, D. Camilleri, M. Pace, S. Borg, J. Xerri de Caro, K. Lanzon.

Sliema: J. Cachia, C. Gialanze, E. Aquilina 2, M. Rizzo, M. Meli 2, J. Soler, T. Varga 7, J. Valletta 1, C. Debono 1, F. Cutajar, D. Paolella 1, A. Bianchi, R. Coleiro.

Refs: S. Donato, I. Sciriha.

Division Two

Exiles 13
Marsaxlokk 13
(0-3, 5-3, 5-4, 3-3)

Exiles Pender Gardens were involved in another thriller which produced 26 goals, this time when they faced Marsaxlokk Freeport in a match which had fortunes fluctuating widely before the teams settled for a sharing of spoils.

With Aurelien Cousin having an off-day, it was left to five-goal John Paris to spearhead his team, with Sergei Frolov hitting six at the other end for Marsaxlokk.

A 5-0 flying start by Marsaxlokk was annulled by Exiles before the southerners edged in front for a 6-5 lead at the half-way stage.

Anthony Farrugia's team opened another gap, this time on 9-6, only for Exiles to take a 10-9 lead with four consecutive goals, before a last-gasp Frolov goal at the end of the third session evened matters.

With exchanges toing and froing, Marsaxlokk again steamed up to take a three-goal lead - 13-10.

But, once more, Exiles re-discovered their fighting qualities to even matters for a definite result.

Exiles: N. Imbroll, K. Rizzo Naudi 2, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi, T. Sullivan 2, G. Desira Buttigieg, J. Paris 5, J. Cremona, K. Griscti, A. Cousin 1, A. Arrigo 1, M. Calleja 2.

Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia 1, N. Agius, A. Farrugia, K. Farrugia, C. Bugeja 2, E. Pisani, D. Schembri, S. Frolov 6, K. Grima Scott, G. Ghirxi 1, G. Attard 3, A. Sammut.

Refs: M. Dalli, A. DeRaffaele.

Today: U-19 4.30 p.m. Sliema vs Exiles. Division Two 5.45 p.m. Marsascala vs Otters. Division One 7 p.m. Neptunes vs Sirens.