SLIEMA FRANK SALT………….7
(3-2), (4-0), (2-2), (3-3)
San Ġiljan Tum Invest capped off a perfect season winning also the BOV knock-out defeating Sliema Frank Salt 12-7. It was a resounding win for the champions who finished the season by winning all their 25 games, winning all competitions, and cementing their place as one of the best ever teams.
Sliema were only in the game during the first period as they took the lead from Jerome Gabarretta, and after Aleksandar Ivovic put San Ġiljan in front with two well-taken goals, Guillermo Molina equalised from penalty. But Aurelien Cousin finished a wonderful action to give his team a one-goal advantage at the end of the first session.
That advantage was consolidated in the second session, as like in the previous games, San Ġiljan dominated the second period, scoring four consecutive goals from four different players to finish the session 7-2 in front.
San Ġiljan were already in the driving seat and their job was only to control the game. They scored twice from Aleksandar Ivovic and Andreas Galea but Sliema managed to react in both occasions, to at least limit the damage.
The champions elevated their level again in the last session, scoring three times from Aurelien Cousin, Ben Plumpton and Aleksandar Ivovic to make the score 12-4. Sliema scored three late goals to make the score more respectable.
San Ġiljan captain Matthew Zammit received the trophy from the BOV Chief Officer Anthony Scicluna in the presence of the ASA President Joe Caruana Curran, as San Ġiljan celebrated yet another trophy.
It is the second time that all four waterpolo competitions were won by the same team. It was Sliema who did it the first time in 1998.
San Ġiljan: J. Tanti, P. Borg, A. Galea (1), B. Grech, J. Galea, M. Zammit (1), B. Plumpton (1), D. Zammit, A. Ivovic (5), A. Cousin (3), P. Fava, D. Zammit (1), T. Micallef
Sliema: R. Coleiro, J. Gabarretta (1), E. Aquilina, C. Cluett, G. Molina (3), K. Dowling, M. Spiteri Staines, L. Galea, J. Gambin (2), M. Meli (1), Z. Mizzi, B. Cachia, Z. Sciberras
Referees: Peter Balzan, Adrian Alexandrescu
Source: www.independent.com.mt