Sliema McDonald's, already assured of the championship title this season, kept up their perfect record and thus their imperious march towards their 30th success.

Yesterday, they had to dig deep into their reserves of talent and resilience to finally stave off the bold challenge from Sirens Centro Casalinga, who should consider themselves unlucky to succumb to defeat yet again when conceding goals in the latter part of the last session.

Sliema, on the other hand, managed to overcome the pressure of having nothing to lose from this encounter. They did so with a fighting display as the lead alternated almost throughout the proceedings only for the match to end with the brave Blues in the lead.

Marco Baldinotti started with Arfay Babay and Predrag Zimonjic in preference of the other foreigner, goalkeeper Francesco Caprani, whose place was taken by Alan Grech.

The St Paul's Bay team had an edge in the opening session and led 3-1 before the Blues reduced the deficit towards the end of the quarter. Although the small crowd could not spark any enthusiasm play was brisk and no quarter was given.

Sirens scored twice after Sliema equalised to take a 5-3 lead. But the Blues opened the throttle and nosed ahead on 7-5 before ends were changed.

In the third quarter, Sirens soon leveled matters. The Blues shifted to stringent press at this point as they sought to stifle their opponents, who, however, remained concentrated as they traded goals with Sliema for the third quarter to end on 9-9.

Goals kept coming in quick succession, with both teams putting in maximum effort. Meanwhile, David Cutajar had been fouled out while several others from both sides were hanging on two personal faults.

It was Anthony Galea's turn to be dismissed for good.

Sirens' fighting spirit was maintained. They took a 10-9 lead, only to keep leveling matters everytime Sliema went ahead.

The decisive goal, a deflected shot by Jonathan Valletta, came late in the game, but Sirens almost neutralized that lead when they netted a split second after the buzzer for time went.

Earlier, it was presentation day for Exiles Elle et Vire as they wrapped up their league commitments when facing Ta' Xbiex Mermaids Paradise in yesterday's first match.

This was their ninth league success - their second in three years - as they wrested the title from Marsascala in a season which they dominated.

But they did not quite put the cherry on the cake as they contrived to mess up things and in so doing lost their first points of the season against a determined Ta' Xbiex whose seasoned campaigners put up their best performance of the summer.

Exiles played erratically for most of the match and only rose to their responsibilities in the last part when they scored twice to save the game after being 8-6 down, the last goal coming with two seconds to go.

At the end of the match, Peter Perotti, Chief Officer of BOV, presented the Second Division cup to Exiles captain Timmy Sullivan.


Sirens 12
Sliema 13

(3-2, 2-5, 4-2, 3-4)

Sirens
F. Caprani, R. Mock, A. Galea, P. Privitera 2; A. Babay 5; P. Zimonjic 2, J. Borg 1, D. Cutajar 1, K. Montfort 1, R. Scerri, C. Mercieca, A. Attard, A. Grech.

Sliema
J. Cachia, J. Gabaretta, E. Aquilina 2, R. Fodor 2, M. Meli, J. Soler 1, D. Paolella 1, J. Brownrigg, C. Debono 1, J. Valletta 2, J. Falzon 3, O. Frikk 1, R. Coleiro.

Referees: A. Rovida, P. Balzan.


Exiles 8
Ta' Xbiex 8

(0-1, 3-3, 1-2, 4-2)

Exiles
A. Borg Cole, J. Rizzo Naudi, K. Rizzo Naudi 1, D. Pace Lupi 1, T. Sullivan 1, R. Blari 3, M. Rizzo 1, K. Grixti, K. Enriquez, A. Cousin, S. Vassallo, A. Cachia, M. Calleja 1.

Ta' Xbiex
A. Tanti, J. Tabone 1, M. Manara, K. Engerer, W. Privitera, P. Paolella 1, R. Polacik, T. Debono, C. Zammit 3, I. Surim 1, A. Bianchi, D. Pisani 2.

Referees: M. Angilleri, R. Spiteri.


Today: Division Two 5.15 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Otters. Division One 6.30 p.m. San Ġiljan vs Neptunes.

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