This year’s contenders – Neptunes and San Giljan – will cross paths again in the contest for the second major honour of the season after routine wins over Marsascala and Sliema respectively.
San Giljan put their defeat against Neptunes completely behind their backs when they comfortably dismissed Sliema to book a berth in the final.
Sliema could harbour no qualms about the results. They were beaten by a more forceful outfit whose tactics produced more scoring opportunities.
It was only in the last session that Sliema continued to score goals to make the score look more respectable.
It was close score-wise until the middle of the second session when five goals on the trot by Dino Zammit (2), Ben Plumpton, and Jake Bonavia (2) gave San Giljan a 9-4 lead.
However, Sliema had fuel left in their tanks as Liam Galea (2), Nico Schiavone, John Brownrigg, and Matthew Mifsud pulled some goals back. But Mattias Ortoleva, Dino and Darren Zammit sealed a comfortable win for San Giljan.
Neptunes’ passage to the final was smoother as Jovan Popovic’s men met little trouble in eliminating Marsascala 12-6.
The newly crowned champions, firm favourites to beat Marsascala, duly signed off with a very comfortable victory over opponents who could not but offer token resistance.
It was a routine victory over the Southenders, which was more emphatic than the score indicates.
A decisive stranglehold in the opening session was maintained in the subsequent sessions.
It was free-wheeling all the way as the scoring opportunism and power of Steven Camilleri, Jake Muscat, and Jeremy Abela and the effective interplay of their colleagues, including the youngsters Sam Gialanze and Alec Fenech were too much for the otherwise generous Marsascala to contend with.
SLIEMA 10
SAN ĠILJAN 12
(2-3, 2-3, 1-3, 5-3)
Sliema: N. Grixti, L. Galea 4, M. Meli 1, N. Schiavone, M. Mifsud 1, J. Brownrigg 2, J. Gambin 1, Z. Mizzi 1, N. Bugelli, Z. Sciberras.
San Ġiljan: R. Coleiro, D. Zahra, A. Galea, D. Fero, R. Caruana, M. Zammit, B. Plumpton 2, J. Bonavia 2, D. Ciantar, Darren Zammit 2, K. Galea, Dino Zammit 4, G. Vassallo, M. Ortoleva 2.
Referees: Luca Bianco, Ronnie Spiteri.
NEPTUNES 12
MARSASKALA 6
(5-0, 1-1, 3-2, 3-3)
Neptunes: A.Borg Cole, J. Muscat 2, L. Calleja, G. Pace , M. Castillo, J. Spiteri Staines, S. Camilleri 3 , J. Camilleri 1 , J Abela 2, M. Spiteri Staines , A. Fenech 2 , S. Gialanze 2, A Bugeja, M. Farrugia , R. Galea.
Marsaskala: J. Micallef, J.C. Cutajar, A. Camenzuli, P. Privitera 3, G. Sammut 1 , L. Grixti, K. Navarro, M. Manara , S. Micallef , L.Felice, J. Ciantar 2 , M. Carani , A. Muscat, G. Galea, D. Camilleri. Refereess: Peter Balzan, Attilo Paoletta.
