Comfortable outing for Sliema and Neptunes

As expected, both yesterday's matches resulted in one-sided affairs as Neptuners Vodafone and Sliema McDonald's breezed past Marsaxlokk Freeport and Ta' Xbiex Mermaids Paradise respectively.

Although the Neptunes-Marsaxlokk match carried a formality tag, that billing only surfaced when the Reds occasionally shrugged their inertia and raised their game.

Otherwise credit goes to the southseasiders, at least for trying to play positively almost throughout, even if they kept a watchful eye on their backdoor in order to nullify their opponents' menace on the break.

The Balluta Bay team started on a low note, taking a relatively marginal 4-2 lead in the opening session.

Four and five conversions in the subsequent quarters made it look more familiar for the champions as Steve Camilleri unleashed his power when netting a nap-hand by then and a total of six by the end of the proceedings.

Constant substitutions by the returning Sergio Afric may have made for some loss of rhythm for his team. But there was no question on where the win was going despite the Reds' generally low-key showing.

After all, their opponents failed to generate any fire in their bellies.

In the second match, Sliema, like Neptunes, hardly pressed the accelerator in the first quarter and their 2-0 advantage before the initial interval reflected their lack of venom as well as some obdurate play from Ta' Xbiex who had performed so well before going down narrowly to San Ġiljan last week.

The next session was very similar to the previous one with the Blues failing to charge their batteries and Aldo Scerri's team pulling all their strings. It was more like it for Sliema in the third quarter as they netted five times to go 10-2 ahead. But generally, Sliema's engine was in idling mode and their scoring-rate suffered as a consequence.

That mattered little since this was not a big test for Sliema.

Playing today: 5.15 p.m. Sirens vs Marsascala; 6.30 p.m. San Ġiljan vs Exiles.