The series of close duels in this year’s championship is becoming a very welcome feature.

Sirens Ritter Sport and San Ġiljan Giuseppe’s were the protagonists yesterday as they put up another sporting battle which in the end went the way of the Saints 15-14.

With San Ġiljan again parading Nikola Sutic in lieu of Bogdan Rath, their scoring potential was in no way diminished as Sutic netted four times with Matthew Zammit equalling his tally at Sirens’ expense.

Karl Izzo’s team forced Sirens to chase the scoreline before finally applying the coup de grace, thus avenging their first-round 15-12 defeat to go joint top with Sliema McDonald’s who have today’s match in hand.

A high-scoring first session produced cat-and-mouse fare with Sirens chasing the Saints to draw level each time they were in arrears only to fall two goals behind towards the end of the first session.

All-pitch press was more evident in the second session. The Saints twice took a three-goal lead before they were reprieved by Dean Camilleri on a Czaba Kiss five-metre throw.

But not for long as the northerners pulled two goals back, with Arpad Babay and Kiss each netting four goals to make it 10-9 after San Ġiljan had gone 10-8 ahead.

It was Sirens’ turn to deny the Saints on a Sutic penalty after the teams were level on 10-all.

Claudio Spiteri de Barro put Sirens in front for the first time midway through the third session but three goals for San Ġiljan gave them a 13-11 lead before conver-sions at both ends made it 14-12.

Although fewer goals were scored in the final quarter, excitement never ceased, especially after Spiteri de Barro netted his third goal to cut down the Saints’ lead to 15-14 with over two minutes left.

It stayed like that amid some heart-throbbing moments for both sides.

In the opening match, Valletta Sterling registered their second successive victory to reach the 14-point mark in the Division One table.

Although Ta’ Xbiex drew first blood, the City team were already 5-1 up by the end of the first session during which Simon Cachia and David Zoltan each netted a brace.

The Hungarian kept up his scoring streak after the first restart, scoring four more goals for a lead of 11-5 at the half-way mark.

Both Cachia and Timmy Agius reached their hat-trick in the next quarter which Valletta won 3-2 to make it 14-7 with the last session to go.

It was downhill for Anthony Farrugia’s side as Robert Kovac, Agius and Cachia each totalled four goals to add to Zoltan’s six in Valletta’s 18-9 win.

Summaries

Valletta 18
Ta’ Xbiex 9
(5-1, 6-4, 3-2, 4-2)

Valletta: A. Sammut, S. Meli, R. Calleja, J.C. Farrugia, T. Agius 4, S. Cachia 4, A. Galea, M. Cordina, R. Kovac 4, D. Zoltan 6, A. Arrigo, E. Arrigo, K. Hyzler.

Ta’ Xbiex: L. Borg, J. Cremona, A. Galea 2, M. Asciak, L. Suranyi 3, K. Galea 2, S. Cini, L. Pace, C. Saliba, R. Attard 1, A. Zammit, J. Szeles 1.

Refs: A. DeRaffaele, M. Angilleri.

Sirens 14
San Ġiljan 15
(4-6, 5-4, 3-4, 2-1)

Sirens: A. Grech, A. Attard, A. Sammut, P. Micallef, A. Babay 4, C. Kiss 4, J. Borg, D. Cutajar 1, A. Zarb Cousin 2, C. Zammit, C. Spiteri de Barro 3, D. Zammit, N. Grixti.

San Ġiljan: D. Camilleri, K. Mock, N. Sutic 4, K. Galea 2, K. Dowling, M. Zammit 4, B. Letica 2, A. Bianchi, R. Mock, C. Gialanze, P. Fava 1, D. Abela, M. Pisani 2.

Refs: P. Balzan, F. Ricciotti.

Premier Division

Division One

Playing today
Premier Division: 19.15 Exiles vs Sliema.