San Ġiljan All Care Insurance joined Sliema at the top of the table after defeating Exiles Ferretti 13-8 yesterday in a match which developed into a one-sided affair in the first three sessions, after which Exiles managed to reduce the arrears from ten to five goals.

The Saints were unfazed by the absence of the injured prolific scorer Matthew Zammit and in the first three quarters went about their business of ramming in the goals, particularly through Dino Zammit, scorer of a nap-hand.

They had their feet on the accelerator, scoring freely early on only for Exiles to somewhat put their sloppy start behind them when they won the last quarter 5-1 to make scoreline more respectable.

New signing Andrea Bianchi netted four goals for Exiles.

The Valletta McDonald’s-Sirens Ritter Sport clash resulted in a close contest with both sides vying for an edge which alternated as the seconds ticked away.

In the end the northerners prevailed on 6-5, with the useful trio of captain David Cutajar, Gabriel Pace and centre Zach Mizzi sharing the team’s goals, the last-mentioned managing to score with an unusual header.

It was touch and go as the City team forged ahead 3-1 before Sirens bounced back to take a 6-4 lead in the last quarter. However, a late goal for Valletta was not enough for them to save the game.

Bogdan Rath’s lads just about deserved their win, especially for their well-deployed defensive sets.

The programme opened with Marsascala Nutrition Empire introducing their new sponsor with a comfortable 14-5 victory over Ta’ Xbiex Amigos.

The team guided by Piere Borg had already sewn up the match in the first two sessions.

For them the main scorers were Liam Grixti and Stephen Micallef with a hat-trick each, while for the losers Kurt Mock added two more goals to the three he had scord in the previous match. Sean Aquilina also scored two.

Summaries

Exiles 8
San Ġiljan 13

(0-4, 1-5, 2-3, 5-1)

Exiles: S. Galea Pace, J. Rizzo Naudi, S. Vassallo 1, D. Pace Lupi 2, M. Paris, D. Abela, S. Gravina 1, K. Grixti, N. Paris, A. Bianchi 4, P. Paris, L. Peric, K. Lanzon.

San Ġiljan: J. Sammut, P. Borg 1, A. Galea 1, K. Galea 2, K. Dowling 3, B. Grech, B. Plumpton, Darren Zammit, P. Fava 1, Dino Zammit 5, D. Spiteri.

Referees: P. Balzan, M. Angileri.

Valletta 5
Sirens 6

(2-1, 2-2, 0-2, 1-1)

Valletta: R. Sciortino, A. Agius 1, M. Rizzo 1, K. Galea, N. Bonello Ghio, R. Mock 1, D. Paolella 1, M. Cordina, C. Zammit 1, O. Zammit, D. Camilleri.

Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi 2, K. Debattista, G. Pace 2, M. Grech, A. Sammut, M. Caruana, D. Cutajar 2, J. Napier, E. Aquilina, L. Caruana, G. Merten, J. Zerafa Gregory.

Referees: P. Balzan, S. Licari.

Ta’ Xbiex 5
Marsascala 14

(1-4, 0-4, 3-2, 1-4)

Ta’ Xbiex: J. Micallef, L. Pace, C. Pace, P. Micallef, J. Gauci, K. Mock 2, S. Aquilina 2, J. Galea, R. Greco, E. Gravina, L. Calleja, K. Grima Scott 1.

Marsascala: K. Schembri, J.C. Cutajar 1, M. Pace 1, C. Bonello 2, L. Grixti 3, J. Busuttil, S. Micallef 3, K. Navarro 1, D. Cassar 2, C. Mifsud 1, F. Buhagiar.

Referees: M. Dalli, R. Magri.

Premier Division

First Division