In the main match of the day it looked as if champions Neptunes Grimaldi would again contrive to let slip a comfortable four-goal lead over rivals Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate which matured six minutes into the last session and allow the Blues to salvage a game that had them subdued for long stretches.

However, this time the Reds held out despite having to endure another comeback from their opponents when they reduced a 9-5 deficit to one goal with a minute left.

Yesterday, the Reds could only be faulted for letting their foot off the accelerator too early in that last quarter. They went for the jugular and nearly paid a high price.

The Blues, who had Alex Attard missing, were chiefly let down by an abysmal one on nine man-up success against an otherwise tightly-knit Neptunes rearguard.

Apart from Neptunes’ better three on eight statistics, the Balluta Bay Reds were led by a superb Peter Biros who made up for some slips from Ivan Krapic.

He covered Michael Bodegas excellently besides netting a hat-trick.

The Camilleri brothers and the hard-working Niki Lanzon were the other Neptunes stalwarts in a team that had stronger swimmers and looked more compact.

For Sliema, the opportunism of Jerome Gabarretta and John Brownrigg, each scorer of a brace, plus the power of Nikola Dedovic, who struck a hat-trick, were not enough. Neptunes’ edge had been beyond question.

In the other Premier League match, Valletta McDonald’s scored their second victory of the season, this time defeating Exiles Ferretti 12-10.

The City team were indebted to five-goal Michael Cordina whose eye for the opposing net is making him a very useful player. He was followed by Djorde Filipovic, scorer of a hat-trick.

A 5-2 early lead, later extended to 7-3 midway into the third session, was gradually clipped down largely by a resolute Marco Cuk, scorer of four goals for Exiles.

With one goal dividing the teams and Exiles looking competitive all the way, Cordina scored a late last goal to put the result beyond the opponents’ reach.

Despite a 6-2 initial buffer in favour of Marsaxlokk Fischer, yesterday’s Division One match developed into a tight contest.

Leaders Ta’ Xbiex Amigos gradually annulled their four-goal deficit before scoring the winning goal through Edward Gravina who complemented the nap-hand of Adam Maklari.

The programme of league matches yesterday ran half an hour late before a faulty computer was made operational just before the Sliema-Neptunes match.

Summaries

Marsaxlokk 12
Ta’ Xbiex 13

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

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

Ta’ Xbiex: J. Micallef, A. Maklari 5, A. Camenzuli 2, G. Attard, M. Kallay 1, M. Camilleri, E. Gravina 1, G. Debono 1, P. Micallef, L. Pace, A. Mifsud 2, M. Mifsud K. Grima Scott 1.

Referees: S. Licari, G. Sorgente.

Sliema8
Neptunes 9

(2-3, 2-3, 1-2, 3-1)

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

Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon, N. Farrugia, M. Stellini 3, T. Agius, I. Krapic, S. Camilleri 2, J. Camilleri 1, M. Castillo, P. Biros 3, B. Lanzon, S. Xerri de Caro, C. Mercieca.

Referees: P. Balzan, P. Bensaia.

Valletta 12
Exiles 10

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

Valletta: R. Sciortino, O. Zammit, M. Rizzo, K. Galea 1, A. Agius, R. Mock, G. Kiss, N. Bonello Ghio, M. Cordina 5, C. Zammit 2, D. Paolella 1, D. Filipovic 3, D. Camilleri.

Exiles: I. Bugeja, J. Rizzo Naudi 1, S. Vassallo, D. Pace Lupi, R. Blary 2, J. Spiteri Staines, S. Gravina 2, K. Grixti, D. Abela, A. Bianchi 1, M. Cuk 4, L. Peric, K. Lanzon.

Referees: R. Spiteri, G. Sorgente.

Premier League

Division One