Valletta McDonald’s managed to collect all the spoils at the expense of Sirens Ritter Sport in a close contest marked by fluctuating fortunes which had the scoreline alternating especially in the middle sessions.

The City team played a sound tactical game which very often nullified most of the efforts by their opponents.

Except for two goals in the final quarter, Italian Christian Presciutti was largely anonymous for Sirens, never mind being well marked when he ventured into a shooting position.

Csaba Kiss was equally ineffective and only four-goal Edward Aquilina managed to lift the northerners yesterday.

Nevertheless, it was close as only one goal separated the teams for most of the time.

Snap goals from Djordje Fili-povic, who notched a poker, and Gergely Kiss, scorer of a hat-trick, gave Valletta the impetus, with Ryan Mock and Michael Cordina, who each netted a brace, supplementing the ammunition.

It was in the last session that Anthony Farrugia’s team pulled clear as they opened a 12-9 lead. After which two goals by Sirens came too late to save them the embarrassment of an opening league defeat.

In the previous lower division match at Tal-Qroqq yesterday, champions Marsascala Nutrition Empire started their commitments positively when beating Otters Nivea 16-10.

The team from the south carried more guns than their opponents who paraded five players from Neptunes, Sliema and Exiles on a loan basis, besides two players from Serbia.

An 8-2 lead for Marsascala by the halfway mark was too much an imbalance for the Gozitan team to redress.

However, Alfred Cachia’s lads fought well in the last two sessions not to fall further behind.

Newcomer Srdjan Aksentijevic netted four times for them in the last quarter.

For Marsascala, Hungarians Matyas Pasztor scored five and Bela Torok four.

Summaries

Otters 10
Marsascala 16

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

Otters: R. Bonnici, M.Borg Millo, M. Paris 1, L. Gialanze 1, F. Kljajevic 1, E. Meli 2, G. Mizzi 1, S. Dimech, N. Paris, D. Borg Millo, C. Martin, S. Aksentijevic 4, P. Teuma.

Marsascala: K. Schembri, J.C. Cutajar 1, M. Pace 2, C. Bonello, B. Torok 4, L. Grixti, K. Navarro 1, F. Borg, S. Micallef 1, M. Pasztor 5, D. Cassar 2, C. Mifsud, B. Muscat.

Referees: P. Giordano, M. Cataldi.

Valletta 12
Sirens 11

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

Valletta: R. Sciortino, O. Zammit, M. Rizzo, K. Galea 1, A. Agius, R. Mock 2, G. Kiss 3, N. Ghio, M. Cordina 2, C. Zammit, D. Paolella, D. Filipovic 4, D. Camilleri.

Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi 1, C. Presciutti 2, G. Pace, M. Grech 1, C. Kiss, M. Balucci, D. Cutajar 2, J. Napier, E. Aquilina 4, L. Caruana 1, A. Sammut, I. Riolo.

Referees: P. Balzan, M. Bianchi.

Today’s programme

First Division: 16.30 Ta’ Xbiex Amigos vs Marsaxlokk Fischer.

Premier League: 17.45 Neptunes Grimaldi vs San Ġiljan Allcare; 19.00 Sliema Frank Salt vs Exiles Ferretti.