Game report May 17 2008This is a featured page


Sliema McDonalds 17 – Sirens Hard Rock Café 12
(4-1, 6-4, 4-2, 3-5)

Sliema were the first to book a place in next week’s winter league final after meritedly beating Sirens in a high scoring match in the first semifinal. This was Sliema’ second success over Sirens, this year, after they had emerged winners 11-7 in the first game of this winter campaign. Despite missing a penalty in the first minute of play, Sliema opened a comfortable 4-1 lead at the end of the first session with Jonathan Valletta grabbing his only netting ion the match to open the score in the third minute and then, after Sirens momentarily equalised through David Cutajar, it was Mark Meli (on a Galea exclusion), John Soler and Edward Aquilina (who combined together to score 13 goals in total) who netted the blues’ other goals with Sirens missing on two man-ups. Meli was Sliema’s hero in the second session as he netted three goals in these eight minutes of play as the blues extended their lead to five goals midway into the match at a 10-5 score line. The St. Pauls Bay side, who had assistant coach John Farrugia shown the red card in this session, scored two times in succession early in the same session, through Jurgen Borg and Paul Privitera, to reduce the deficit to two goals at 3-5 but then suffered three consecutive man-up goals. Sliema’s win was made certain when they registered a 3-0 run, to thus open an 8-goal lead, between the 17th and 20th minute of play starting with a John Brownrigg goal on a Mercieca exclusion followed by other strikes by the Soler/Aquilina tandem. Sirens did regain their scoring touch when Borg converted a penalty after a debono major foul but Sliema were totally in command even though they lowered a bit their guard and Sirens had the better of the last session so as to register a more respectable score. Soler netted the game’s final goal, off a 5 metre free shot, to make it a six-goal game for him (he also had scored another penalty some minutes before).

Sliema: Josie Cachia, Chris Gialanze 1, Edward Aquilina 3, Jerome Gabaretta, Mark Meli 4, John Soler 6, Daniel Paolella, John Brownrigg 1, Clint Debono 1, Jonathan Valletta 1, James Spiteri Staines, Nikolai Lubrano, Ryan Coleiro.
Sirens: Allan Grech, Tyson Debono, Anthony Galea 2, Paul Privitera 2, Peter Borg, Ryan Mock 1, Jurgen Borg 3, David Cutajar 2, Rainier Scerri, Clint Mercieca 2, Reinhard Attard, Joseph Sammut.
Refs: Peter Balzan, Miro Caruana


Neptunes Vodafone 11 – San Giljan Zara 9
(3-2, 1-1, 5-3, 2-3)

Similar to the first Balluta derby this season, when there was also a 2-goal game at 10-8, Neptunes had to withstand a fine showing by San Giljan before booking their place in the next Sunday’s final. San Giljan had a positive start to the game when, after 21 seconds, Matthew Zammit was fouled by Steve Camilleri (who was playing his first game for Neptunes after returning from Belgrade) for a penalty and the same Zammit converted the resulting 5 metre free shot with a powerful shot to Gouder’s right. Neptunes ’ reply was immediate as just 27 seconds later Stellini, Cachia and Karl Galea had a choral move with the latter scoring with a back-hand shot. The same player put the reds 2-1 ahead when he managed to break free on the right and just squeezed the ball past Dean Camilleri’s outstretched hands. Galea could have registered his hat-trick just a few moments later but Camilleri effected a great save on a 3 v 2 break, only for the ball to then finish in Nicky Lanzon’s hands and the Neptunes captain did not miss to make it 3-1. After missing a man-up, San Giljan opened the game once again when Zammit was quite lucky that Neptunes missed their target whilst he had not returned back on defence and then Zammit received the ball and did not miss from close range. Inspired by a number of good saves by Camilleri, San Giljan fought bravely in the second session and even managed to equalise through Kayne Lanzon. On the opposite end, Fava was excluded, and Jordan Camilleri scored off a rebound from close range. San Giljan then missed a double man-up with Fava’s shot thwarted by Gouder so that the teams changed ends at 4-3. Although Neptunes opened a momentary 2-goal lead in the 17th minute after Edward Cachia received a good assist from Stellini on a Fava exclusion, San Giljan came back strongly and again equalised twice, this time on two occasions. Zammit first netted with a back-hand from the centre despite S. Camilleri’s marking and then, just 40 seconds after, Andrea Bianchi broke away clear and made it 5-5. Michele Stellini restored Neptunes ’ lead with De Barro exclsuded but San Giljan won a Cachia man-up and John Xerri de Caro made it yet a squared game at 6-6. The game looked to have been decided in the last two minutes of the third session when Neptunes scored three times in a row. Galea confirmed his sharpness close to goal and got his hat-trick when he was quick to pounce, and flick home, on a rebound after a fine Camilleri save on a Cachia attempt. Half a minute later Steve Camilleri scored with a scorcher with the saints protesting that the same player had just fouled De Caro. With San Giljan losing their concentration and having also De Barro definitely excluded and Bianchi injured, Michele Stellini made it 9-6 a few moments before the session’s end to even register his hat-trick . At the start of the final session, off another Fava exclusion, Edward Cachia extended the reds’ lead. When all seemed lost at 6-10, San Giljan staged a fine mini-comeback and made it 10-9, with 100 seconds to go till the end, with a 3-0 run after a Zammit brace and a Paul Fava netting. Stellini came to Neptunes’ rescue with an accurate shot past Camilleri and then San Giljan missed their last chance to stay in the game when they missed a man-up play so that Neptunes booked their place in the final, against arch-rivals Sliema, next Sunday.

Neptunes: Nicky Gouder, Nicky Lanzon 1, Jordan Camilleri 1, Karl Galea 3, Edward Cachia 1, Kurt Micallef, Steve Camilleri 1, Rambert Attard, David Camilleri, Sean Gravina 1, John Paris, Michele Stellini 3, Matthew Pisani.
San Giljan: Dean Camilleri, Claudio Spiteri de Barro, Andrea Bianchi 1, Matthew Zammit 5, Matthew Pace, Kurt Grech, Glen Ghirxi, Edward Arrigo, Paul Fava 1, John Xerri De Caro 1, Kayne Lanzon 1. Refs: Ivan Sciriha, Alex Deraffaele


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