Sliema rose splendidly to the occasion to stun the more-fancied Neptunes with a diligent display of disciplined waterpolo, chartered by their new coach Fernandez Abella and throw the title race wide open.
The biggest beneficiaries from Sliema’s surprise victory are San Ġiljan who now face Neptunes in a title showdown this Saturday on equal points.
The Reds started wastefully on their two man-up sets. These were followed by a penalty miss from Steven Camilleri before Sliema exploited their first scoring opportunity through Jerome Gabarretta.
Exchanges were tight with Sliema closing up excellently when not in possession. Neptunes could not find their usual touch and kept messing up their passes and finishing badly.