The BOV Premier League has now reached a decisive stage with the six teams in the top flight split between the Championship and Relegation Pools.

The round-robin tournament in the lower tier gets underway today with the match between Valletta McDonald’s and Exiles Ferretti, the two teams likely to be involved in the tussle to avoid bottom place which means a relegation play-off against the top team in the First Division.

The Championship Pool will not start until next Wednesday but the action will be as competitive as ever this evening when holders Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate take on Neptunes Grimaldi in the BOV KO final.

This year, Sliema have already won the Winter League and they would relish retaining the KO title for a second year knowing that stopping Neptunes from claiming a fifth consecutive league championship has become rather complicated even if still possible.

In fact, the Reds are enjoying a significant five-point lead in the league standings but they still have to face second-placed Sliema and San Ġiljan twice each in the Championship Pool.

Neptunes had two difficult obstacles to clear before reaching the cup final.

In the quarter-finals they were pitted against neighbours San Ġiljan, a match the Reds won 14-11, before a tense semi-final against Sirens Ritter Sport which the valiant St Paul’s Bay team only lost by the odd goal in 19.

Sliema’s passage to today’s showdown was smoother as Vincze Balazs’s men met little trouble in eliminating Exiles 18-5 in the quarter-finals and then Valletta (16-12) in the last-four stage of the competition.

Last year, Sliema clinched the KO in dramatic fashion after having the better of Neptunes in a penalty shoot-out. The score at the end of extra-time was 11-all.

That clash was a good advert for Maltese waterpolo as the two teams gave their all and it was a pity that one of the two contenders had to finish on the losing end.

The spirit of fair play prevailed on that day despite the tense moments leading to Sliema’s 17-16 win, giving hope that the same atmosphere would transform today’s final into another epic clash involving these two great rivals of the local game.

There was perfect balance between Sliema and Neptunes in the championship this season with the two direct clashes failing to produce a winner – 14-14 and 10-10.

However, Sergey Markoch’s Reds did have the better of the Blues in the President’s Cup at the start of the season in June when they claimed the honour with an 11-8 verdict going their way.

For the record, Sliema lead the all-time KO winners’ list with 26 successes. Neptunes lifted the cup on 21 occasions.

Today’s matches
Relegation Pool: 18.15 Valletta vs Exiles.
BOV knock-out final: 19.30 Sliema vs Neptunes.

Premier League

Last 10 winners

2013 - Sliema
2012 - Neptunes
2011 - Neptunes
2010 - Sliema
2009 - Sliema
2008 - Sliema
2007 - Sliema
2006 - Sirens
2005 - Neptunes
2004 - Sirens