The Malta Independent on Sunday
San Ġiljan edge out resilient Sirens
Waterpolo
San Giljan Tum Inv.......10 Sirens Greentube............6 (1-1), (3-2), (2-0), (4-2)
Considering the form of the previous games, there was one favourite heading into this game. San Ġiljan maintained the prediction but had to work harder than expected to beat a resilient Sirens side 10-6. Paulo Obradovic and Nicolas Bicari carried their respective teams, and both had a tough battle.
Sirens had their best game so far but still finished the match empty handed and are still alongside Valletta at the bottom of the table with no points. They could have done better in the man-up situations scoring twice from six occasions.
Marco Baldinetti’s team started well as Canadian Nicolas Bicari scored twice while Paulo Obradovic responded for San Ġiljan. The champions recovered in the second session with three goals in the space of a minute and ten seconds from a brace by the hard worker Andreas Galea and Paulo Obradovic.
This lead seemed to be the beginning of the end for Sirens, but they fought back and equalised from a well-planned man-up from Isaiah Riolo and Bicari.
Matthew Zammit regained the lead for his team in the beginning of the third session with a precise lob. Andreas Galea doubled the lead in the middle of the session as San Ġiljan controlled well the session to start the last session 6-4.
Sirens were determined not to let the game slip away and Bicari pulled one back in their first action of the last session. Peter Borg made it 7-5, but John Brownrigg gave a life line to his team. After Paulo Obradovic scored immediately, the game was decided and Dino Zammit scored a brace in the end to seal the the match.
San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, P. Borg (1), A. Galea (3), B. Grech, C. Farrugia, M. Zammit (1), B. Plumpton, Da. Zammit, T. Said, P. Obradovic (3), P. Fava, Di. Zam- mit (2), T. Micallef
Sirens: N. Grixti, Z. Bartolo, E. Aquilina, N. Bicari (4), M. Grech, I. Riolo (1), C. Mercieca, J. Sciberras, J. Napier, J. Ciantar, L. Caruana, J. Brownrigg (1), O. Gauci
Referees: Peter Balzan, Luca Castagnola take a commanding 7-1 lead. Slobodan Nikic reduced the margin, but Neptunes throttled again and in the space of less than a minute and a half made the score 10-2 to practically settle the match. Michele Stellini and Aurelien Cousin scored for Exiles before the end of the second session.
Since the game was practically lost, Exiles had only the aim to reduce the gap between their opponents and finish the game with dignity. They won both sessions and kept a constant pace with Neptunes, who rotated more than usual.
Despite that Neptunes stayed in control, Exiles scored two late goals to cut the deficit from five to three goals, for a respectable result.
Neptunes: A. Borg Cole, N. Lanzon (2), K. Erdogan, G. Pace (1), M. Martellacci, N. Zammit (1), P. Muslim (2), J. Camilleri (6), J. Abela (3), M. Zammit (1), J. Muscat, M. Azzopardi, J. Parnis
Exiles: M. Castillo, M. Fenech (2), A. Bianchi, M. Stellini (2), T. Sullivan (4), S. Xerri de Caro, S. Nikic (2), K. Griscti, N. Paris (1), A. Cousin (2), B. Lanzon, P. Paris, G. Ciappara
Referees: Alex De Raffaele, Andrea Barretta
Ta Xbiex Amigos...........10 Marsaskala Transc.......11 (2-2), (2-3), (2-4), (4-2)
Ta’ Xbiex: M. Vassallo, R. Greco, M. Manara (1), L. Hyzler (1), Z. Galea Mule, B. Cachia, G. Blundell, (3), L. Galea, G. Sammut (2), K. Tanti (2), N. Saliba (1), L. Pace
Marsaskala: J. Micallef, J.C. Cutajar (1), E. Carabott, D. Borg Millo, A. Vlahovic (4), L. Grixti (2), K. Navarro, J. Busuttil, J. Bajada (2), C. Mifsud (2), D. Cassar, R. Attard, B. Muscat
Referees: Mario Dalli, Castagnola Luca