After landing silverware when securing the BOV Cup last Tuesday, Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate brought the curtains down to their season when they beat Sirens Ritter Sport comfortably in yesterday’s second match on the card.
Their edge was beyond question as Sliema powered to a 17-9 victory, with the points earned consoli-dating a meaningless third position in the table.
Sliema made their intentions clear in the opening session after establishing a 5-1 platform, with Jerome Gabarretta scoring two early goals.
After that first quarter, Sirens were made to change their caps as these were almost similar to those worn by ‘home’ team Sliema.
A 4-2 scoreline in the second session made it 9-3 in the Blues’ favour. By this time, six of their players had inserted name on the scorers’ list, with Arpad Babay, Czaba Kiss and Zach Mizzi being Sirens’ scorers up to that point.
The northerners stuck manly to their job of making a fight out of it but Sliema, making use of all their tailenders, were beyond reach as they led 12-6 with one quarter left after the penultimate one had ended on three goals apiece.
The last eight minutes were only of statistical interest in terms of scorers and major faults which had Sliema with eight goal-getters but a massive 14 personal infringe-ments.
Marsascala Mor€ ended their Division One commitments in second place after drawing 13-all with Otters Nivea in a match which saw the southerners making a comeback when twice trailing by four goals in the second session.
Otters, at least, did not finish on a losing note in a relatively positive season for them.
The Gozitans led 10-7 after the first two sessions with Romanian Cristian Kalin, who netted three of his side’s six goals in the second session, pushing them along.
In the third session the teams shared four goals as Otters maintained their three-goal advan-tage going in to the last eight minutes. That lead was annulled with two minutes left after a storming comeback by Marsascala.
Summaries
ASA Under-17 8
Valletta 15
(1-5, 3-3, 3-5, 1-2)
ASA U-17: Z. Sciberras, M. Lanzon 1, A. Galea, A. Mifsud, M. Grech 1, B. Plumpton 1, M. Mifsud, G. Mizzi, J. Napier 1, M. Zammit 1, M. Cacici 2, N. Paris 1, D. Spiteri.
Valletta: R. Sciortino, R. Calleja 2, M. Koralija 1, S. Cachia 1, M. Cordina 1, C. Zammit 1, R. Scerri 3, A. Arrigo 2, D. Filipovic 4, Z. Sciberras.
Refs: P. Balzan, P. Giordano.
Marsascala 13
Otters 13
(3-4, 4-6, 2-2, 4-1)
Marsascala: K. Schembri, K. Rizzo Naudi 3, M. Pace 2, B. Muscat, J. Kayes, L. Grixti 1, G. Hegedius 3, J. Cremona 2, G. Desira Buttigieg, A. Sammut 2, D. Cassar, C. Mifsud, L. Caruana.
Otters: N. Grixti, G. Attard, G. Zammit, A. Borg, J. Young, K. Scicluna 1, D. Schembri 2, C. Kalin 6, S. Dimech, C. Martin, I. Vuksanovic 4, K. Grima Scott.
Refs: P. Balzan, R. Spiteri.
Sliema 17
Sirens 9
(5-1, 4-2, 3-3, 5-3)
Sliema: R. Coleiro, D. Buric 3, N. Lubrano 2, C. Cluett 2, M. Meli 1, J. Soler 2, G. Kiss 3, E. Aquilina 1, J. Brownrigg, J. Gabarretta 3, D. Paolella, M. Spiteri Staines, D. Abela.
Sirens: A. Grech, Z. Mizzi 1, M. Grech, J. Napier, A. Babay 3, C. Kiss 1, J. Borg 1, D. Cutajar 1, A. Zarb Cousin, A. Attard 2, S. Micallef, M. Caruana, J. Cremona.
Refs: M. Angilleri, D. Rotondano.
Next fixtures
Friday: 18.00 Ta’ Xbiex vs Valletta. 19.15 Sirens vs Exiles.
Saturday: 16.45 Marsascala vs ASA Under-17; 18.00 Otters vs Marsaxlokk. 19.15 San Ġiljan vs Neptunes.
Premier Division
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
San Ġiljan | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 159 | 132 | 30 |
Neptunes | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 169 | 91 | 27 |
Sliema | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 156 | 127 | 21 |
Sirens | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 106 | 166 | 6 |
Exiles | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 101 | 175 | 0 |
Division One
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
Valletta | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 155 | 86 | 30 |
Marsascala | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 142 | 129 | 22 |
Otters | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 108 | 130 | 15 |
Ta’ Xbiex | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 134 | 148 | 10 |
Marsaxlokk | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 111 | 157 | 4 |