Unlike football, waterpolo is not tagged as the ‘beautiful game’. But what it lacks in clean qualities is made up for in drama.

Yesterday’s duel between Sirens Ritter Sport and Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate fitted this bill perfectly.

It was end to end excitement, with missed man-ups especially from Sliema, steals in mid-pitch and plenty of turnovers as possession was switched as a result of attacker fouls.

All this made it a very pulsating evening for both sets of supporters.

After losing against Valletta on Friday, Sirens must be commended for a truly bold display when they were denied of victory three seconds from the end after the table officials signalled an irregular entry of a Sirens player who had previously reached his total sum of exclusions.

Nikola Dedovic converted the five-metre throw for his fifth goal and thus saved his colleagues’ faces.

Sliema were made to chase the score for most of the way as they contrived to mess up most of their man-up chances – they scored four on twelve to their opponents’ healthier six on ten reading.

Christian Presciutti had been pivotal when scoring four goals in the initial sessions.

He was then followed by the evergreen captain David Cutajar who also struck four times, with the emergent Edward Aquilina netting a late hat-trick.

Sliema’s guns were supplied primarily by Dedovic and John Soler who scored three goals at vital moments to keep his team in contention.

It had been a truly balanced contest, with the team from St Paul’s Bay only a whisker away from pulling off a shock win.

The match between Marsaxlokk Fischer and Otters Nivea turned into any easy stroll for the southerners who pulled clear of the Gozitan side in the latter quarters after the teams had shared 14 goals for most of the opening sessions.

The striking force of Marsaxlokk was provided by Ivan Vuksanovic with six goals and Claudio Spiteri Debarro who netted five. Srdjan Aksentijevic hit four penalties for the losers.

Summaries

Marsaxlokk 21
Otters 9

(4-2, 5-5, 5-2, 7-0)

Marsaxlokk: A. Xuereb, C. Spiteri De Barro 5, M. Korolija 2, A. Galea 1, C. Gialanze, C. Bugeja 1, N. Portelli 3, I. Vuksanovic 6, A. Zarb Cousin, R. Scerri 2, M. Lanzon, J. Xerri de Caro 1, J. Cremona.

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

Referees: R Magri, G. Ibba.

Sirens 12
Sliema 12

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

Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi, C. Presciutti 4, G. Pace, M. Grech, C. Kiss, M. Caruana, D. Cutajar 4, J. Napier, E. Aquilina 3, I. Riolo , A. Sammut 1, M. Muscat.

Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta 1, K. Dowling, N. Bugelli, M. Meli, J. Soler 3, M. Spiteri Staines, C. Cluett, J. Brownrigg 2, M. Bodegas 1, A. Attard, N. Dedovic 5, Z. Sciberras.

Referees: P. Balzan, A. Sgarra.

Playing today
(National Pool) 17.45 Marsascala vs Ta’ Xbiex; 19.00 Exiles vs Neptunes; 20.15 San Giljan vs Valletta.

Standings

Premier Division

Division One