Leaders Neptunes maintain clean sheet

Except for a tiny blip in the third session, which had the teams sharing four goals, Neptunes Emirates were in complete control against Sirens Ritter Sport in yesterday’s first match.

A comfortable 10-6 victory rubberstamped the Reds’ clean sheet and their top spot in the table before the classification matches start towards the end of the month.

With Tony Camilleri guiding his lads to a 7-2 lead soon after the third quarter got under way, the result was practically sealed. In fact, the issue had never been in doubt as Niki Lanzon and Michele Stellini, each scorer of a hat-trick, and the hard-workers Clint Mercieca and Edward Aquilina played the early tune.

It was then a damage-limitation exercise for the northerners, with only Jurgen Borg, scorer of three goals, being able to somehow leave his mark.

Neptunes rotated most of their men with the issue having long been settled.

As the evening got cooler, the second match between Marsascala meat.com.mt and the ASA U-18 selection was decided in favour of the former side on a 10-7 scoreline.

The match was keen in the initial stages but it eventually plumped into a low-key affair even though it served as a learning curve for both sets of players. Top scorers were Aleandro Mifsud for the winners and Stephen Micallef for Marsascala with a hat-trick each.

Before both matches a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Norbert Schembri, one of the pool’s staff who passed away suddenly earlier in the day.

Neptunes 10
Sirens 6
(3-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2)

Neptunes: I. Bugeja, N. Lanzon 3, E. Aquilina 1, M. Stellini 3, Z. Mizzi, G. Pace, J. Camilleri 2, K. Debattista, B. Lanzon, S. Gravina, T. Agius, C. Mercieca 1, R. Sciortino, L. Ellul.

Sirens: A. Grech, A. Attard 1, I. Spiteri, T. Kusztos, A. Sammut, J. Borg 3, D. Cutajar, A. Zarb Cousin, C. Zammit 1, C. Spiteri de Barro, D. Zammit 1, J. Sammut.

Refs: P. Balzan, S. Licari.

Marsascala 7
ASA Youth 10
(2-3, 3-0, 0-4, 2-3)

Marsascala: K. Schembri, M. Pace 1, L. Ciantar, K. Navarro 1, C. Mifsud, S. Micallef 3, R. Scerri 2, D. Cassar, M. Fenech, B. Muscat.

ASA Youth: Z. Sciberras, M. Paris 1, K. Galea 2, B. Lanzon 1, E. Meli 1, A. Galea, A. Bugeja, S. Xerri de Caro, N. Portelli, D. Borg 2, D. Zammit, A. Mifsud 3, N. Bugeja.

Refs: M. Angileri, M. Dalli.

Standings

Playing today
18.30 Valletta vs Exiles
19.45 San Ġiljan vs Sliema

Friday
20.00 Sliema vs ASA Youth

Saturday
16.00 Sirens vs San Ġiljan
17.15 Exiles vs Marsascala
18.30 Neptunes vs Valletta