Exiles Ferretti 9
San Giljan Sir Alex 14
(1-3, 2-6, 2-3, 4-2)
San Giljan ambled through to their third win over Exiles, which pats back them as sole leaders in the standings, and they are now just a point away from the league title, last won 18 seasons ago. They played with confidence for most part of the match, and only relaxed a bit in the final session, with victory already assured. Exiles had Luca Borg in lieu of Kurt Grixti for this match.
It was Julian Rizzo Naudi who opened the score for Exiles and they kept their advantage until the Saints pushed in earnest and produced a trio of strikes, from Peter Biros, Marko Avramovic and Christian Gialanze, to finish the opening period in the lead.
In the next session San Giljan put in three more goals, from Dino Zammit, Matthew Zammit and Biros, before Exiles could obtain their second goal, by Vojoslav Cupic. The Saints were then back with another triple strike, with Matthew Zammit and a couple from Avramovic. Alex Radovic scored Exiles’ third goal. At the interval San Giljan were enjoying a 9-3 advantage.
After the break Karl Galea took the Saints into double figures, with a reply from Exiles’ James Spiteri Staines. Galea again and Biros extended San Giljan’s lead, with Radovic reducing the deficit for a 12-5 score to the Saints when the last quarter began. Here San Giljan put Joseph Sammut in goal and Dino Zammit added a further goal for them, as Radovic was out on fouls for Exiles.
But his side then had Rizzo Naudi with two goals in quick succession, before Matthew Zammit netted another Saints’ goal. Before the final buzzer Exiles scored two more goals from Cupic and Kayne Lanzon.
San Giljan converted twice from their seven man-ups, and their two foreigners, Avramovic and Biros, netted hat- tricks. Exiles also had seven man-ups, and they scored in three of them. For them it was Rizzo Naudi with three goals.
Exiles: I. Bugeja, J. Rizzo Naudi 3, S. Vassallo , D. Pace Lupi , N. Portelli , A. Radovic 2, J. Spiteri Staines 1, V. Cupic 2, L. Borg , P. Borg ,S. Galea Pace , D. Borg , K. Lanzon 1
San Giljan: D. Camilleri, JC Cutajar , C. Gialanze 1, K. Galea 2, K. Dowling ,M. Zammit 2, M. Avramovic 3, A. Bianchi , C. Spiteri de BarroP. Biros 3, P. Fava , D. Zammit 2, J. Sammut
Referees: P. Balzan, D. Rotondano
Source: www.independent.com.mt