Marsaxlokk Fisher kept their hopes of winning the First Division after beating leaders Marsascala Mor€ with their keeper Antonello Xuereb effecting a providential save with seven seconds to go.

A draw would have been sufficient for Marsascala to finish top of the standings.

Marsascala have to beat Otters Nivea in their last match of the season to retain first place while Marsaxlokk, now only a point behind the leaders, play Ta’ Xbiex Amigos.

Pierre Borg’s Marsascala were five goals behind but they nearly produced a remarkable comeback, this after Marsaxlokk had started off with a flurry with Bence Fulope and Otto Frick combining perfectly, the former also scoring a great goal from half pitch to make the score 11-6 for his team.

It was Andrea Agius, making the score 8-12 in the middle of the last session, that gave Marsaxlokk a breather but Marsascala kept pushing forward in their bid to make sure of their place in the three-match play-off series against Exiles Ferretti.

Matthew Pace, Arpad Babay and Sergi Mira made the score 12-11 for a thrilling finale but then Xuereb made that great save which kept his side in contention.

In the second match of the evening, Premier League bottom club Exiles chalked up their first win of the season after beating Valletta McDonald’s 13-11.

The Citizens forged ahead for the first time in the match at the beginning of the third session thanks to a Djordje Filipovic’s penalty who made the score 8-7.

Kurt Griscti made it 8-8 and Gergerly Katonas again put the side from Sliema ahead with just over three minutes before the end of the session. Serbian Korolija, however, equalised from a penalty but it was Sekulic who scored just before the end of quarter to make it 10-9 for Exiles.

The game continued with the same pattern, Exiles going in front and Valletta drawing level immediately.

In the end, however, Griscti made it 12-11 and with 87 seconds to go David Pace Lupi scored again for Exiles to seal the win.

Marsascala 11
Marsaxlokk 12

(1-3, 2-4, 3-3, 5-2)

Marsascala: D. Spiteri, J.C. Cutajar, S. Mora 3, C. Bonello 1, E. Meli, L. Grixti 2, K. Rizzo Naudi, J. Cremona, S. Micallef, M. Pace 3, D. Cassar, A. Babay 2, J. Cremona.

Marsaxlokk: A. Xuereb, A. Agius 1, B. Fulope 5, A. Galea, G. Busuttil, M. Fenech 2, S. Xerri De Caro, A. Mifsud 1, O. Frick 2, A. Arrigo, D. Borg Millo 1, M. Scerri.

Referees: M. Angilleri, M. Ruscica.

Exiles 13
Valletta 11

(4-2, 3-5, 3-2, 3-2)

Exiles: I. Bugeja, J. Rizzo Naudi 2, S. Vassallo, D. Pace Lupi 1, G. Katonas 3, N. Paris, J. Spiteri Staines, K. Griscti 3, L. Sekula 2, P. Borg 2, B. Lanzon, S. Galea Pace, K. Lanzon.

Valletta: R. Sciortino, R. Mock, M. Spiteri Staines 2, M. Korolija 2, N. Bonello Ghio, S. Cachia, D. Paolella 1, J. C. Farrugia, C. Zammit 2, M. Cordina 2, D. Filipovic 2, M. Rizzo.

Referees: A. DeRaffale, R. Colombo.

Premier League

First Division

Programme

Playing today: 18.45 Otters Nivea vs Ta’ Xbiex Amigos; 20.00 Neptunes Grimaldi vs Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate.