Sliema were never troubled by Valletta. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate overcame Valletta McDonald’s 10-2 to secure a place in the top three and a possible fling at the winter title while San Ġiljan completed the formalities with a 7-4 victory over Sirens Ritter Sport, yesterday.

San Ġiljan may not have had it all their way when they faced Sirens even if they made their opponents chase the scoreline except when they fell behind early on.

The Malta champions, though, had a wider array of scorers and thus potential match winners.

The northerners, on their part, refused to fold although their main drawback was their dearth of goals on numerical superiority when missing five crucial sets.

In the end, San Ġiljan’s greater threat when in possession told, never mind the steady goalkeeping of Nicholas Grixti. The Saints led by two goals most of the time but definitely took the game away from their opponents late in the last session when Dino Zammit struck the seventh goal.

A more compact Sliema, without centre Jerome Gabarretta, led 4-2 when ends were changed, after which the Blues kept extending their advantage to register a clearcut victory.

Valleta only stayed in the game until midway in the second quarter after taking a temporary 1-0 early lead. However, they should point an accusing finger at their inability to find the net on all the five extra man sets they had.

The Blues were more efficient in their execution, with Nicholas Bugelli, scorer of a hat-trick, showing clinical qualities that belied his age.

Sliema 10
Valletta 2

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

Sliema: R. Coleiro, N. Bugelli 3, E. Aquilina, C. Cluett 2, M. Meli 1, K. Dowling, M. Fenech 1, T. Sullivan, J. Brownrigg 1, A. Attard 2, M. Mifsud, Z. Sciberras.

Valletta: R. Sciortino, J. Spiteri Staines, M. Rizzo, A. Agius, M. Rizzo, R. Mock 1, D. Paolella, N. Bonello Ghio, M. Cordina 1, C. Zammit, D. Spiteri, M Spiteri Staines.

Referees: P. Balzan, S. Licari.

San Ġiljan 7
Sirens 4

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

San Ġiljan: J. Sammut, P. Borg, A. Galea, J. Galea 1, Darren Zammit, M. Zammit 1, K. Galea, C. Mercieca 1, B. Plumpton, A. Cousin 2, P. Fava, Dino Zammit 2, D. Camilleri.

Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Mizzi 1, A. Camenzuli, G. Pace 1, M. Grech 2, J. Zerafa Gregory, I. Riolo, D. Cutajar, J. Napier, J. Sci-berras, L. Caruana, E. Meli, A. Sammut.

Referees: A. Goncharenko, A. DeRaffaele.

Ta’ Xbiex 1
ASA U-19 20

(1-5, 0-2, 0-7, 0-6)

Ta’ Xbiex: J. Micallef, I. Spiteri, J. Gauci, N. Camenzuli, K. Mock, S. Aquilina, D. Schembri, D. Saliba, E. Gravina 1, R. Attard, E. Mifsud, L. Pace.

ASA U-19: Z. Sciberras, N. Zammit 2, A. Camenzuli, J. Sciberras 2, J. Abela 1, I. Riolo 3, K. Erdogan 3, J. Zerafa Gregory 4, M. Azzopardi 1, M. Zammit 1, K. Navarro 2, C. Mifsud 1, J. Tanti.

Referees: R. Magri, R. Spiteri.