Sirens Ritter Sport and San Ġiljan All Care Insurance picked the points at the expense of Marsaxlokk Fischer and Exiles Ferretti respectively yesterday to ensure a place in the Premier Division alongside Neptunes and Sliema and, most probably, Valletta and Exiles.

The team from St Paul’s Bay were more than a shade better than their opponents who, on their part, tried to keep within a reasonable distance of the northerners.

Bence Fulop, scorer of a hat-trick, was useful for Marsaxlokk but both Christian Presciutti and Csaba Kiss were the scoring protagonists for Sirens when grabbing eight goals between them.

It was a clearcut victory for Bogdan Rath’s lads which was ensured by the end of the third session and sealed in the last when they scored four times without a reply.

San Ġiljan kept a clean sheet from three matches in the preliminary Group B when defeating their neighbours across Balluta Bay 10-2.

The necessary biting edge and expertise were always on their side despite the team’s occasional lapses.

However, Exiles played into San Ġiljan’s hands yesterday with a string of nine missed man-up opportunites from as many sets in favour.

Also on their downside was the lack of killer touch particularly evident from their overseas players, Gergely Katonas and Luka Sekulic.

The Saints, though blocked very well, with Dean Camilleri in goal standing out with some fine saves.

In any case, San Ġiljan really pulled away in the third session of the match after which it was downhill for the team led by experienced coach Sergio Afric from the bench.

Summaries

Marsaxlokk 6
Sirens 15

(1-3, 1-3, 4-5, 0-4)

Marsaxlokk: A. Xuereb, A. Agius, B. Fulop 3, A. Galea 1, G. Zammit, C. Bugeja 2, M. Fenech, S. Xerri De Caro, A. Mifsud, O. Frikk, A. Arrigo, D. Borg Millo, M. Scerri.

Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi, C. Presciutti 5, G. Pace 1, M. Grech 1, C. Kiss 3, M. Caruana, D. Cutajar 1, J. Napier 2, E. Aquilina 2, G. Mertens, A. Sammut, M. Pisani.

Referees: P. Balzan, M. Angileri.

San Ġiljan 10
Exiles 2

(3-1, 1-1, 3-0, 3-0)

San Ġiljan: D. Camilleri, C. Spiteri De Barro, A. Galea, Karl Galea 2, K. Dowling, M. Zammit 1, A. Radovic 1, A. Bianchi, Keith Galea 1, Z. Kovacic 2, P. Fava, D. Zammit 3, J. Sammut.

Exiles Ferretti: I. Bugeja, J. Rizzo Naudi, S. Vassallo, D. Pace Lupi, G. Katonas, S. Galea Pace, J. Spiteri Staines 1, K. Grixti, L. Sekulic, P. Borg 1, B. Lanzon, N. Portelli, K. Lanzon.

Referees: M. Dalli, K. Denver.

Group A

Group B