Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate picked the spoils in dramatic fashion when they pipped Sirens Ritter Sport 10-9 in another thrilling duel which had both sets of supporters on edge and biting their nails before Gergely Kiss lifted the gloom in the Blues’ clan with a last-gasp goal.

It had been a contest of mixed fortunes with expulsions galore, good goals as well as missed opportunities at both ends.

The match was slightly delayed after the Italian referee Bruno Navarra accidentally fell in the pool and was forced to rehabilitate himself as well as he could.

Sirens led 3-2 in the first session with their block looking more effective while Sliema, yesterday under the guidance of stand-in coach Peter Decesare, betrayed inaccuracies on the point of shooting. The Northerners extended their lead to 5-2 in the second session before Samir Barac closed the gap with the long interval looming.

By this time Sliema, who were without the suspended Edward Aquilina, had three men with two personal faults, Mark Meli, John Soler and Daniel Paolella. Meli was eventually dismissed with substitution before Juergen Borg, back from suspension, made it 6-3.

Zak Mizzi, for Sirens, had also been forced to leave through injury. Stefan Micallef netted Sirens’ seventh goal after Timothy Sullivan had at last converted a man-up to make it 6-4.

Goals from Gergely Kiss and Barac sandwiched Arpad Babay’s conversion for an 8-6 Sirens lead into the last session.

Sirens’ man-up sets were showing a healthier reading.

Understandably, Sliema had to go for press as time started running out. Gergely Kiss made it 8-7 from a penalty with Nikolai Lubrano equalising two minutes from the end.

It was now Sirens’ turn to be wasteful on man-ups, having missed their fourth set in succession. But they again regained the lead only for two goals from John Brownrigg and the last one from the Hungarian with a second left sealing the issue for Sliema.

Tight contest

The second-tier league is developing in close affairs.

This time it was Marsascala More and Otters Nivea who battled it out with the former team, helped by six-goal Joseph Kayes, finally getting the better of Paul Dimech’s team.

The first session ended with Otters 3-2 in front with the second going the way of Marsascala by a similar score.

Hot-shot Kayes had already reached his hat-trick by the halfway stage. So did Keith Grima Scott shortly into the third session. However, Andrei Edwards netted his fourth goal and the balance was eventually restored on 8-8 with a session left.

Meanwhile, the subdued Ionut Necsulescu was fouled out. The southseasiders looked sharper in the last session to go ahead for the first time and then seal their win on 13-10.

Summaries

ASA U-17 4
Valletta 14

(2-4, 0-4, 0-4, 2-2)

ASA U-17: D. Spiteri, M. Lanzon, A. Galea 2, A. Mifsud, M. Grech, B. Plumpton 1, M. Fenech, G. Mizzi, J. Napier, M. Zammit, M. Magri, N. Bugelli 1, N. Paris.

Valletta: Z. Sciberras, S. Meli 1, R. Calleja, M. Koralji 4, J.C. Farrugia, S. Cachia, R. Mock 2, N. Bonello Ghio 1, C. Debono 1, R. Scerri 1, A. Arrigo 1, D. Filipovic 3.

Refs: A. De Raffaele, P. Giordano.

Marsascala 13
Otters 10

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

Marsascala: K. Schembri, K. Rizzo Naudi 1, M. Pace 2, B. Muscat, J. Kayes 6, L. Grixti 1, J. Cremona, J. Ross 2, A. Sammut, D. Cassar, C. Mifsud, L. Caruana 1.

Otters: N. Grixti, G. Attard, G. Zammit, P. Sciberras, E. Farrugia, A. Cachia, K. Scicluna 1, D. Schembri 1, A. Edwards 5, S. Dimech, C. Martin, I. Necsculescu, K. Grima Scott 3.

Refs: P. Balzan, R. Spiteri.

Sliema 10
Sirens 9

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

Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabaretta, N. Lubarno 1, T. Sullivan 1, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 1, G. Kiss 3, C. Cluett, J. Brownrigg 1, S. Barac 2, M. Spiteri Staines, D. Paolella, D. Abela.

Sirens: A. Grech, Z. Mizzi, M. Grech, J. Napier, A. Babay 3, Z. Kiss 2, J. Borg 1, D. Cutajar 1, A. Zarb Cousin, A. Attard, S. Micallef 2, G. Debono, R. Gauci, J. Cremona.

Refs: M. Angileri, B. Navarra.

Next fixtures
Tuesday: 18.00 Otters vs Marsaxlokk; 19.15 Sirens vs Exiles.
Wednesday: 18.00 Ta’ Xbiex vs Valletta; 19.15 San Ġiljan vs Neptunes.

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