Sirens surprise Sliema

Winter League champions Sliema McDonald’s succumbed to a surprise 6-5 defeat against a well-drilled Sirens Ritter Sport in the principle encounter of the day.

It was a sprightly performance by the team guided from the bench by Dorian Pisani. Their superbly-marshalled units allo-wed an otherwise fumbling Sliema team little time to steady themselves for a potent shot at goal, and when they did they found an unyielding goalkeeper in Joseph Sammut.

Apart from this, the northerners broke their passes effectively when going on the counter and furthermore they were well served by the emerging Dino Zammit, scorer of a hat-trick.

The Blues reversed a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead by the beginning of the second quarter, but Sirens equalised before ends were changed as the northerners refused to conced space to their opponents, at the same time pouncing on the several extra-man sets they had.

They twice forged ahead on 4-3 and 5-4 but a last-gasp goal from Sliema at the end of the third session restored the equilibrium.

Sirens kept their nerve in the last part of the game and inspired by a solid Sammut in goal they were able to administer their lead obtained with just over two minutes left.

The great divide between San Ġiljan Firetech and Marsascala Solidbase was very much in evidence as the Saints swept past their opponents from the south in the opening match of the day.

Experience and shooting power were on the side of Karl Izzo’s team as the deficiencies of Pierre Borg’s outfit were starkly exposed from the very beginning.

Marsascala were unable to stop the rot after they trailed 8-1 at the half-way mark. That trend continued in the subsequent sessions and were it not for some defiant goalkeeping from Stephen Farrugia, San Ġiljan would have won by a bigger margin.

In the end, Karl Galea led the San Ġiljan scorers’ with five goals, followed by Anthony Galea and Andrea Bianchi with three goals each.

In the last match of the day, not valid for points, Exiles Jet Services saw off the ASA U-17 selection to the tune of 17 goals to five.

There was no question as to the superiority of the team under the charge of Joe Caruana Dingli. The dice were cast early in the match and by the end of the second session the team from Sliema were already six goals in front before their opponents pulled two goals back.

Exiles’ momentum could not be arrested as was that of seven-goal Timmy Sullivan, and it was no surprise that they cruised to a comfortable victory over inexperienced opponents for whom, Dino Zammit was again their chief goal-getter albeit, with just two conversions.

Marsascala 3
San Ġiljan 17
(1-4, 0-4, 0-3, 2-6)

Marsascala: S. Farrugia, C. Spiteri de Barro 1, D. Caruana, D. Zammit, B. Plumpton, J. Licari 1, J. Cremona, S. Micallef 1, K. Galea, K. Navarro, O. Zammit, B. Muscat.

San Ġiljan: D. Camilleri, J.C. Cutajar 1, A. Galea 3, K. Galea 5, M. Borg Spiteri 2, K. Dowling 2, L. Grixti, A. Bianchi 3, K. Mock, C. Gialanze 1, P. Fava, M. Fenech, K. Schembri.

Refs: R. Spiteri, M. Angilleri.

Sliema 5
Sirens 6
(2-1, 1-2, 2-2, 0-1)

Sliema: R. Coleiro, M. Spiteri Staines 1, N. Lubrano 2, P. Privitera, M. Cordina, J. Soler 2, D. Paolella, J. Spiteri Staines, C. Debono, C. Cluett, M. Rizzo, M. Agius, Z. Sciberras.

Sirens: J. Sammut, A. Attard, P. Micallef, P. Borg, A. Sammut, R. Mock, J. Borg, 1, D. Cutajar 1, M. Grech, C. Zammit 1, L. Caruana, D. Zammit 3, C. Mercieca.

Refs: A. Farrugia, M. Dalli.

Exiles 17
ASA U-17 5
(3-0, 3-2, 4-1, 7-2)

Exiles: A. Borg Cole, J. Rizzo Naudi 2, K. Rizzo Naudi, D. Pace Lupi 2, T. Sullivan 7, M. Calleja, J. Paris 3, K. Grixti, A. Zarb Cousin, S. Cini 1, S. Vassallo, P. Paris, K. Lanzon, E. Magri 2.

ASA U-17: R. Leullen, M. Paris, K. Galea, B. Lanzon 1, E. Meli, K. Dowling 1, M. Fenech, K. Debattista, N. Portelli, D. Borg, L. Caruana 1, D. Zammit 2, Z. Sciberras.

Refs: A. De Raffaele, S. Licari.