Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate booked an expected easy passage to the semi-final of the BOV Knock-Out competition and the right to meet Valletta when they removed Exiles Ferretti 18-5 in yesterday’s only match.
The Blues’ edge on paper and in the water was clear enough considering the disparity in strength between the two sides.
Moreover, Exiles had to contend without the services of James Spiteri Staines, who was slightly injured in a motor cycle accident just before the game, and Julian Rizzo Naudi.
These absences limited Maurizio Mirarchi’s options when rotating his components.
But apart from that, Sliema’s vastly superior qualities were never in doubt.
Exiles could only offer some sort of resistance in the opening session, after which their opponents ran clear especially in the latter quarters, with John Soler topping the scorers’ list with five, followed by Jerome Gabarretta, Ivan Basara and Antonio Petkovic on four.
In the final quarter Sliema’s Hungarian coach, Vincze Balasz, could make more prolific use of his fringe players. Their victory had long assumed comprehensive proportions.
Exiles 5
Sliema 18
(2-3, 0-3 1-6, 2-6)
Exiles: I. Bugeja, N. Paris, S Vassallo, D. Pace Lupi 1, G. Katonas, S. Galea Pace, K. Grixti, L. Sekulic 1, P. Borg 2, B. Lanzon, N. Portelli, K. Lanzon 1.
Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta 4, N. Lubrano 1, T. Sullivan, M. Meli, J. Soler 5, J. Borg, C. Cluett, J. Brownrigg, A. Attard, I. Basara 4, A. Petkovic 4, K. Schembri.
Referees: A. Deraffaele, G. Centineo.
Today’s quarter-final
19.00 San Ġiljan Allcare vs Neptunes Grimaldi.
Semi-finals pairings
July 22/23: Sliema vs Valletta; San Ġiljan/Neptunes vs Sirens.