Valletta United’s comeback to local waterpolo after having been one of the mainstays of the Maltese game in past years, has been rewarded with another honour, this time in the second tier of the ASA competitions.

Boosted by the engagement of two versatile foreigners and the signing of some experienced and other useful local players, the City team lived up to their billing of top contenders as they led the chase to the title throughout only to seal the prize yesterday after beating second-placed and out-going section champions Marsa-scala Mor€ 9-6.

Victory yesterday was obtained principally thanks to a break-through in the third quarter which annulled the south seasiders’ otherwise stiff resis-tance.

In an arid first session, the teams scored a goal apiece.

The second quarter produced some fire-crackers towards the end with five goals which gave Marsascala a 4-3 lead at the half-way stage.

Simultaneous expulsions sparked off protests from the Valletta end when a Marsascala player reacted to some remarks.

The incident, which was defused, seemed to galvanise Valletta in that third quarter. They struck five goals to their opponents’ one.

A goal at each end in the fourth quarter maintained Valletta’s three-goal advantage till the final buzzer which was met with champagne as the revelry by the boisterous City fans was not missing.

Summaries

Valletta 9
Marsascala 6

(1-1, 2-3, 5-1, 1-1)

Valletta: R. Sciortino, S. Meli 1, R. Calleja, M. Korolija 2, N. Bonello Ghio, S. Cachia, M. Cordina 1, C. Zammit 2, C. Debono, R. Scerri 1, A. Arrigo, D. Filipovic 2, Z. Sciberras.

Marsascala: K. Schembri, K. Rizzo Naudi, M. Pace, B. Muscat, J. Kayes 1, L. Grixti 1, J. Licari, J. Cremona 1, G. Hegedius 3, A. Sammut, D. Cassar, C. Mifsud, L. Caruana.

Refs: P. Giordano, R. Spiteri.

ASA Under-17 12
Marsaxlokk 15

(4-3, 1-2, 1-4, 6-6)

ASA U-17: Z. Sciberras, M. Mifsud 2, D. Zammit, A. Mifsud, M. Grech 4, B. Plumpton 1, M. Fenech, G. Mizzi, J. Napier 2, M. Zammit 1, N. Paris 1, N. Bugelli 1, F. Buhagiar.

Marsaxlokk: M. Scerri, L. Friggieri 1, E. Meli 3, K. Grech 1, K. Mock 1, A. Galea, R. Kovacs 1, P. Kovacs 5, T. Camilleri 2, J. Fenech 1.

Division One