San Ġiljan and Neptunes both recorded comfortable
victories as Marsaxlokk on their part, kept their cool to register a deserved
first win.
In Group B, San Ġiljan were a notch or two above what
Exiles could produce in the first match of the day. The outcome was an easy win
for San Ġiljan. They took a 3-0 lead inside the first session as they mastered
the early exchanges better. The Saints extended that lead to 9-3 at the end of
the second session.
Double figures were reached in the third session during
which, the shooting qualities of Dino Zammit kept surfacing as the Saints
player netted his fourth goal before eventually making it six goals.
The Saints retained the driving seat in the last quarter,
though in relaxing mode and amid a bagful of wasted opportunities. But the 17-7
scoreline said it all.
In group A, a supercharged Birżebbuġa held their ground
well in the opening quarters, taking the lead through David Pace Lupi before
Neptunes opened a two-goal gap.
They were still in it at the halfway stage with the score
8-5 although they could not help feeling that their opponents’ heavier
ammunition would eventually surface.
That is what happened in the third session when the 4-0
scoreline swayed the result well and truly in Neptunes’ favour.
The last session had been a combative one when Neptunes
and Birżebbuġa shared four goals.
Last year’s surprise package Marsaxlokk, on the other
hand, relying on resilience based on a core of established players, improved
their collective play after losing against Birżebbuġa in their opening match
and lowered the colours of first division champions Marsascala.
Marsaxlokk were aware that this was a must-win match for
them as they wanted to stand a chance of playing in the Premier Division this
season again.
However, Marsaxlokk summoned their know-how to overturn
the scoreline in their favour with Matteo Martellacci, Timothy Agius, twice and
Benjamin Lanzon scoring the goals. Malcolm Manara and Liam Grixti, meanwhile,
reduced the arrears to 7-5 late in the last session.
Michael Cordina had scored twice for Marsaxlokk in the opening exchanges before two consecutive penalties converted by Jan Culic helped Marsascala make it 2-2. Marsaxlokk took over early in the second session when Matteo Martellacci put them ahead and Joseph Galea made it 4-2.
San Ġiljan and Neptunes both recorded comfortable victories as Marsaxlokk on their part, kept their cool to register a deserved first win.
In Group B, San Ġiljan were a notch or two above what Exiles could produce in the first match of the day. The outcome was an easy win for San Ġiljan. They took a 3-0 lead inside the first session as they mastered the early exchanges better. The Saints extended that lead to 9-3 at the end of the second session.
Double figures were reached in the third session during which, the shooting qualities of Dino Zammit kept surfacing as the Saints player netted his fourth goal before eventually making it six goals.
The Saints retained the driving seat in the last quarter, though in relaxing mode and amid a bagful of wasted opportunities. But the 17-7 scoreline said it all.
In group A, a supercharged Birżebbuġa held their ground well in the opening quarters, taking the lead through David Pace Lupi before Neptunes opened a two-goal gap.
They were still in it at the halfway stage with the score 8-5 although they could not help feeling that their opponents’ heavier ammunition would eventually surface.
That is what happened in the third session when the 4-0 scoreline swayed the result well and truly in Neptunes’ favour.
The last session had been a combative one when Neptunes and Birżebbuġa shared four goals.
Last year’s surprise package Marsaxlokk, on the other hand, relying on resilience based on a core of established players, improved their collective play after losing against Birżebbuġa in their opening match and lowered the colours of first division champions Marsascala.
Marsaxlokk were aware that this was a must-win match for them as they wanted to stand a chance of playing in the Premier Division this season again.
However, Marsaxlokk summoned their know-how to overturn the scoreline in their favour with Matteo Martellacci, Timothy Agius, twice and Benjamin Lanzon scoring the goals. Malcolm Manara and Liam Grixti, meanwhile, reduced the arrears to 7-5 late in the last session.
Michael Cordina had scored twice for Marsaxlokk in the opening exchanges before two consecutive penalties converted by Jan Culic helped Marsascala make it 2-2.
Marsaxlokk took over early in the second session when Matteo Martellacci put them ahead and Joseph Galea made it 4-2.
San Ġiljan 17
Exiles 7
(3-0, 6-3, 5-3, 3-1)
San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, K. Tanti, A. Galea 4, M. Mannino, M. Zammit 2, B. Plumpton 3, J. Bonavia, Z. Micallef, Darren Zammit, P. Fava 1, Dino Zammit 6, G. Vassallo, M. Ortoleva1.
Exiles: M. Castillo, J. Bajada, A. Magri, P. Paris 1, T. Sullivan, S. Xerri de Caro 2, M. Fenech 1, K. Griscti 1, N. Paris 2, A. Cousin, S. Apap, D. Fenech, I. Schembri.
Refs: Mario Dalli, Andrea Barretta.
Neptunes 14
Birżebbuġa 7
(6-4, 2-1, 4-0, 2-2)
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, J. Muscat 4, L. Calleja, G. Pace 1, S. Busuttil, J. Spiteri Staines, S. Camilleri 5, J. Camilleri, J. Abela 1, N. Zammit 3, A. Fenech, S. Gialanza, B. Busuttil.
Birżebbuġa: M. Rossi, J. Farrugia 1, N. Cassar, D. Pace Lupi 2, C. Mifsud 3, P. Serracino, S. Vassallo, D. Cutajar, M.Bonnici, M. Borg, R. Spiteri, S. Fava, M. Sladden, B. Grech 1.
Refs: Stefan Licari, Peter Balzan,
Marsascala 5
Marsaxlokk 8
(2-2, 0-2, 0-1, 3-3)
MScala: J. Micallef, JC Cutajar, A. Camenzuli, P. Privitera, M, Aquilina, L. Grixti 1, K. Navarro 1, M. Manara 1, L. Felice, J. Culic 2, R. Attard, G. Galea, A. Muscat.
Mxlokk: R. Coleiro, J. Rizzo Naudi, M. Martellacci 2, M. Pace, T. Agius 2, B. Lanzon 1, J. Galea 1, K. Cremona, M. Cordina 2, R. Scerri, M. Cacici, O. Zammit, F. Buhagiar.
Refs: Andrea Barretta, Massimo Angileri.
