After dismissing Valletta 16-4 for their tenth win in as many matches San Ġiljan Tum Invest are on the cusp of landing their tenth league title.
Such was their supremacy in the race for the championship this year that their impending success was a foregone conclusion from the word go.
A lead of 12 points over Neptunes and Sliema with five matches remaining for each team means that they only need four more points to be crowned kings of Maltese waterpolo.
The tag of worthy champions is an understatement considering the way they disposed of their opponents in the second round with thrashing victories.
It was more of the same yesterday when they faced Valletta. They signed in with a seven-goal buffer after which they cantered through using 12 of their components and at the same time open up a handsome lead.
Goal-scoring machine Alexsandar Ivovic from Montenegro scored a nap-hand, followed by hat-trick hitter Dino Zammit, with seven others inserting their name in the scorers’ list.
Indeed, it is a long time since we saw a team dominating the race for Malta’s principal title.
In the wake of their capitulation at the hands of Sirens after letting slip a three-goal lead in the final session, Neptunes Leo Vegas laid early foundations for a decisive 13-5 victory against Exiles Jetfreight in yesterday’s second match.
A 5-0 flying start was enough to see the Balluta cruise past their opponents who lacked the necessary cutting edge when in possession except for three-goal Kurt Grixti who was emulated by Romain Blary and Miguel Zammit, with Stevie Camilleri hitting four.
The Reds pulled their weight admirably, with goalkeeper Alan Borg Cole pulling off some fine saves.
For the record, Neptunes utilised 12 units when giving youngsters Matthias Azzopardi, Ken Erdogan and Jake Muscat a taste of the water.
In the day’s opening match Division One leaders Marsaxlokk Fischer beat Birżebbuġa 7-5 in a close duel marked by controversy when Sean Meli’s goal towards the end of the third was annulled after Birżebbugia coach Marco Risso claimed he had anticipated Meli’s conversion when calling for a time-out.
At the end of the day Roman Polacik’s charges emerged winners thanks to late goals from Kayne Lanzon and Brian Buhagiar after their team fought back from an initial two-goal deficit.
Birżebbuġa 5
Marsaxlokk 7
(2-0, 0-2, 2-2, 1-3)
Birżebbuġa: D. Abela, M. Manara, S. Mora 4, D. Pace Lupi 1, A. Camenzuli, A. Sammut, S. Vassallo, N. Cassar, G. Farrugia, M. Caruana, K. Gauci, O. Zammit, D. Spiteri.
Marsaxlokk: A. Xuereb, C. Spiteri DeBarro, L. Calleja, K. Galea, C. Gialanze, C. Bugeja, S. Meli, Z. Kovacic 1, B. Buhagiar 2, R. Scerri 1, K. Lanzon 1, M. Cacici, R. Bonnici.
Referees: Stefan Licari, Mirko Schiavo.
Exiles 5
Neptunes 13
(0-3, 1-5, 3-3, 1-2)
Exiles: M. Castillo, J. Rizzo Naudi, D. Borg Millo, M. Stellini, T. Sullivan 1, S. Xerri De Caro, N. Slobodan, K. Griscti 3, N. Paris, A. Bianchi, B. Lanzon 1, L. Felice, S. Galea Pace.
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon 2, T. Agius, K. Erdogan, R. Blary 3, S. Gravina, S. Camilleri 4, J. Camilleri 1, J. Abela, M. Zammit 3, J. Muscat, M. Azzopardi, I. Bugejua.
Referees: M. Angileri, R. Carmignani.
Valletta 4
San Ġiljan 16
(0-3, 1-5, 1-4, 2-4)
Valletta: R. Sciortino, J. Spiteri Staines, A. Agius, M. Rizzo, M. Fenech 1, R. Mock, D. Paolella, N. Bonello Ghio, B. Vapenski 1, K. Galea 1, D. Fenech, A. Mifsud.
San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, P. Borg 1, A. Galea, B. Grech, J. Galea 1, M. Zammit 1, B. Plumpton 1, D. Zammit, A. Ivovic 5, A. Cousin 2, P. Fava 1, D. Zammit 3, T. Micallef.
Referees: Alex DeRaffaele, Mirko Schiavo.