Neptunes Grimaldi and Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate came out tops in yesterday’s matches, the Reds dismissing Valletta McDonald’s comprehensively and the Blues recovering to see off Sirens Ritter Sport.
In the opening match, Jordan Camilleri took on the role of his brother Stevie as a striking catalyst when scoring a nap-hand in the Balluta team’s 8-2 victory over Valletta.
The Citizens could make no impression when facing tactically well-drilled opponents who had several youngsters in their ranks.
So superior were the Reds that even when Camilleri was excluded without substitution with almost four minutes left they could only score one more goal.
In the subsequent match, Sliema woke to their responsibilities in the third session when hitting four goals without reply after they had changed ends three goals adrift on 4-1 against Sirens.
The northerners’ early briskness which earned them the first four goals on extra man sets, faded away.
After falling 5-4 behind, Sirens rallied momentarily to draw level in the last session, but by then Sliema’s undoubted edge was beyond question, more so when their opponents had influential captain David Cutajar excluded midway in that final quarter with the scores level.
Jerome Gabarretta’s hat-trick proved to be the tonic.
Valletta 2
Neptunes 8
(0-2, 0-1, 0-3, 2-2)
Valletta: R. Sciortino, J. Spiteri Staines, A. Agius, M. Rizzo 1, R. Mock, D. Paolella 1, N. Bonello Ghio, M. Cordina, C. Zammit. D. Spiteri, M. Spiteri Staines.
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon 1, C. Gialanze, M. Lanzon, T. Agius 1, S. Xerri de Caro, K. Navarro, J. Camilleri 5, J. Abela, M. Zammit, B. Lanzon 1, M. Azzopardi, J. Tanti.
Referees: P. Balzan, A. DeRaffaele.
Sirens 5
Sliema 8
(2-1, 2-0, 0-4, 1-3)
Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi 1, A. Camenzuli, G. Pace 2, M. Grech 1, E. Meli, M. Balucci, D. Cutajar, J. Napier 1, J. Sciberras, L. Caruana, E. Meli, R. Gauci.
Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta 3, E. Aquilina 1, C. Cluett 1, M. Meli 1, K. Dowling 1, M. Fenech, T. Sullivan, J. Brownrigg, A. Attard, D. Fenech, N. Bugelli 1, Z. Sciberras.
Referees: M. Dalli, A. Goncharenko.