[attach id=263567 size="medium"]Sliema’s Samir Barac (blue cap) tussles for possession with San Ġiljan’s Matthew Zammit during yesterday’s BOV Knock-Out match. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier[/attach]
Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate gained a mental boost after their early setbacks in the league when they defeated San Ġiljan Sir Alex 12-6 to book a place in the BOV Knock-Out semi-finals.
It was nothing less than the Blues deserved as their work ethic and well-struck goals found no response from a profligate Saints who failed miserably on their numerous man-up sets.
However, credit should also go to Sliema for a tactically well-knit performance based on stringent marking and fine scoring exploits from John Soler who netted four goals.
Marking was tight on both sides, with players who were momentarily left free exploiting the early space to score opportunistic goals.
San Ġiljan led 2-0 only for the Blues to equalise but Karl Izzo’s team regained the lead with Sliema levelling for a 3-3 scoreline at the end of the first session.
It had been very close with no quarter given.
Into the second session, all-pitch press still prevailed.
Solid shadowing by Samir Barac on Matthew Zammit left few options for the Saints.
There was also no space for the five and six outside positions as the Blues closed down their ranks efficiently. Sliema went ahead 5-3 through Mark Meli and Gergely Kiss who netted his second.
Meanwhile, San Ġiljan lost four man-ups in succession.
The returning Edward Aquilina extended the lead to 6-3 shortly after the second restart. San Ġiljan converted the second man-up on seven which turned out to be the last one from 12 such sets.
Another two conversions by the Blues, the last from Soler from the four position on a perfect cross-pass, opened a four-goal advantage for them. The same player made it 9-4 from the same spot.
With Sliema suffering suc-cessive expulsions San Ġiljan kept wasting the advantageous sets.
The Blues dominance was beyond doubt. They kept pegging to reduce Izzo’s team to tatters.
Soler reached his poker with Aquilina and Kiss each scoring a brace.
In the opening match of the day, a stronger Ta’ Xbiex Amigos, led from the bench by Mario Zammit, managed to go through to the semi-finals of the First Division KO at the expense of Otters Nivea whom they beat comfortably 18-11.
Ta’ Xbiex led 5-3 after the first session with Peter Markoch, scoring two of their goals.
The lead was extended to 13-6 in the second session with Markoch and Sebastian Cini reaching their hat-trick.
It was all-square on 2-2 in the third quarter, with the seven-goal gap being maintained.
Again it was level pegging in the last session, with Ta’ Xbiex sealing their win led by playmaker Markoch and top scorers Yuri Szeles and Andreas Galea.
Summaries
Otters 11
Ta’ Xbiex 18
(3-5, 3-8, 2-2, 3-3)
Otters: N. Grixti, G. Attard, G. Zammit, M. Dimech, P. Sciberras, A. Cachia, K. Scicluna 3, D. Schembri, I. Vuksanovic 4, S. Dimech, C. Martin, I. Necsulescu 3, K. Grima Scott 1.
Ta’ Xbiex: L. Borg, J. Navarro, Andreas Galea 4, Anthony Galea, S. Cini 3, M. Asciak 1, K. Galea 1, M. Paris, P. Paris, P. Markoch 3, M. Spiteri, O. Zammit 2, Y. Szeles 4.
Refs: M. Angileri, P. Balzan.
San Ġiljan 6
Sliema 12
(3-3, 0-2, 1-4, 2-3)
San Ġiljan: D. Camilleri, J.C. Cutajar, C. Gialanze 2, K. Galea, K. Dowling, M. Zammit, M. Avramovic 1, A. Bianchi, C. Spiteri Debarro 1, P. Biros 2, P. Fava, D. Zammit, J. Sammut.
Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabaretta 1, N. Lubrano, T. Sullivan, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 4, G. Kiss 2, E. Aquilina 2, J. Brownrigg, S. Barac 1, D. Paolella, M. Spiteri Staines 1, C. Cluett.
Refs: R. Daniele, R. Spiteri.
KO draws
Sliema were yesterday drawn to face Sirens in the first semi-final of the BOV Premier KO competition on July 19 followed by the other last-four match between Exiles and Neptunes the following day.
In the First Division com-petition, Marsascala were paired with Ta’ Xbiex while Valletta face Marsaxlokk on July 19 and 20 respectively, matches which precede the top-division KO semi-finals.
Next fixtures
Tomorrow: 18.00 Marsascala vs Valletta; 19.15 San Ġiljan vs Sliema.
Wednesday: 18.00 Otters vs Ta’ Xbiex; 19.15 Neptunes vs Exiles.