Neptunes one point away from retaining title

San Giljan 6
Neptunes 13
(1-2, 3-6, 2-1, 0-4)

Neptunes Vodafone scored an important victory in their bid to retain the national championship they won last season as they brushed aside San Giljan's brave challenge yesterday.

Following this result, the 2007 Division One championship will be decided on Saturday when Neptunes, currently two points clear at the top, meet second-placed Sliema. Sergio Afric's side need only one point to be crowned champions for a second successive season.

Prior to yesterday's match, San Giljan Zara made a symbolic protest when it was only their captain Silvio Borg who walked up the catwalk for the match presentation with the other San Giljan players standing by the side of the pool.

In a statement presented to all members of the media, San Giljan Zara said that this gesture was in protest for the decision taken by the ASA Tribunal last week to suspend Matthew Zammit for two matches.

According to the club such a ruling was based on a totally false reconstruction of the facts during last week's San Giljan vs Sliema encounter that was filed to the tribunal by referee Ivan Sciriha.

Back to the match itself, and with Serbian Vladimir Vujasinovic, again in tremendous form, alongside the inspirational Steve Camilleri, scorer of five goals, the Balluta Bay team proved too strong for San Giljan.

Despite close scores recorded in the first and third sessions, there was never any doubt that Neptunes were ready to climb back to the top of the table and maintain their pursuit of the league title.

The sizeable crowd present at the National Pool had to wait for almost six minutes to see the first goal following some excellent blocks from both goalkeepers.

Eventually, it was Stellini who gave Neptunes the lead with one minute and 14 seconds remaining, but 24 seconds later, Claudio Spiteri De Barro equalised for San Giljan. Just before the end of the session, Vujasinovic scored for Neptunes to put them 2-1 up.

An avalanche of goals swamped the second session with Lanzon putting Neptunes 3-1 ahead and Cuk reducing the arrears. But from then onwards Neptunes took control of the match and started to distance themselves from San Giljan.

Camilleri scored a brace in the space of a few seconds, the second when Neptunes were with a man-up. Lanzon made it 6-2 and Camilleri again scored for Neptunes, with Cuk once more on the mark for San Giljan.

Vujasinovic added another goal for Neptunes to make it 8-3 but Tony Galea reduced the arrears just before the end of the session.

Cuk was San Giljan's main source of danger but he could do nothing to put his side back in the reckoning even though the Saints won the third session thanks to goals from Kayne Lanzon and Spiteri de Barro, with Stellini scoring for Neptunes.

The final session was all Neptunes, with goals from Camilleri, scorer of a brace, a Lanzon penalty and John Brownrigg wrapping up victory.

All is now set for the title showdown against Sliema on Saturday. Neptunes will be champions if they avoid defeat.

San Giljan: K. Schembri, C. Spiteri de Barro 2, A. Galea 1, C. Bonello, E. Cachia, M. Cuk 2, D. Camilleri, M. Pace, S. Borg, J. Xerri De Caro, K. Lanzon 1.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 3, J. Camilleri, M. Stellini 2, J. Brownrigg 1, V. Vujasinovic 2, S. Camilleri 5, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, S. Gravina, R. Sciortino, T. Agius, M. Pisani.

Refs: Domenico Di Meo; Alex De Raffaele .

Division Two

Marsaxlokk 11
Ta'Xbiex 10
(2-1, 3-4, 3-2, 3-3)

Marsaxlokk Freeport finished the season in style by beating a Ta' Xbiex Mermaid's Paradise side who were fighting for the championship practically all season.

Ta' Xbiex failed to leave their mark yesterday and have missed out on finishing the season as runners-up behind champions Marsascala. Marsaxlokk were faster and more eager to finish the season on a positive note. As expected there was no big difference between the two sides, but it looked as if Ta'Xbiex were foiled by tiredness, especially near the end, where they started to shoot from all angles to gain some oxygen.

Marsaxlokk now can join Ta'Xbiex in third place in the last match of the season, when they play bottom side Otters.

For most of the match, both teams were separated by a single goal. It was only at the end, with just one minute and seven seconds to go that Sergei Frolov, scorer of seven goals, put his team two goals ahead, 11-9.

That was too much for Ta'Xbiex to recover and although they did manage to reduce the arrears through Roman Polacik, with 14.6 seconds left, Marsaxlokk held on for the win.

Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici; S. Cachia, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia 1, K.Farrugia 2, C. Bugeja 1, E. Pisani, D. Schembri, S. Frolov 7, K.Grima Scott, N. Agius, G. Attard, A. Sammut.

Ta' Xbiex: A. Tanti; A. Bianchi, M. Manara 1, M. Galea Pace, C. D'Ugo, K. Sciortino 1, M. Camilleri, R. Polacik 3, P. Paolella 3, K. Engerer, C. Sciortino, D. Pisani 2.

Refs: Ronnie Spiteri, Mario Dalli.

U-19 league: Sliema vs Sirens 15-7 (Sliema champions).