Valletta secure top-flight berth
Neptunes secured the President’s Cup for the first time since 2019, marking their tenth triumph in this charity match.
The Balluta Bay team delivered a commanding performance against Sirens, dominating large stretches of the encounter despite a brief wobble in the second session.
The Reds began strongly, with goals from Jake Bajada, Stevie Camilleri, and a brace by Gergo Zalanki giving them early control.
Gianni Farrugia pulled one back late in the first session. Mattias Ortoleva added another for Neptunes to make it 4–2.
However, Sirens showed signs of a comeback when their foreign import Nicolas Bicari netted a quickfire hat-trick to close the gap to 6–5.
But Neptunes quickly reasserted themselves, raising the tempo with goals from Zalanki (2), Sam Gialanze, and Camilleri, stretching the lead to 9–5. From that point onward, the outcome was never in doubt.
Camilleri completed his hat-trick before the end of the third session, extinguishing any remaining hopes Sirens had of mounting a comeback.
The Reds’ experience and quality ultimately proved too much for their opponents.
At the end of the match, Karl Izzo, president of the ASA, presented the trophy to Neptunes captain Stevie Camilleri.
In the other President’s Cup match, San Ġiljan staged a remarkable comeback, overturning a four-goal deficit to edge out Sliema in a thrilling, topsy-turvy encounter.
The Blues burst out of the blocks, storming to a 4–0 lead with goals from Elijah Schembri, Angelos Vlachopoulos, Dino Cachia, and Jamie Gambin.
San Ġiljan, however, regrouped in the second session.
Led by Aaron Younger and Ben Plumpton – who both netted twice – the Saints clawed their way back to level terms at 7–7, erasing Sliema’s early advantage.
But just before the half-time break, Dino Zammit struck to give Sliema a narrow edge heading into the interval.
Two goals from a five-metre throw at either side, delivered by Nikolai Zammit and Vlachopoulos kept Sliema one goal ahead but Darren Zammit made it 9-9.
San Ġiljan then took the lead for the first time when Plumpton found the net with just two minutes remaining in the third session. Their advantage was short-lived, however, as Liam Galea responded immediately to make it 10-10.
A brilliant through ball by Nikolai Zammit carved open the Sliema defence, setting up Younger to score past Benji Busuttil for 11-10 – but Gambin hit back yet again to restore parity.
With seconds left on the clock, Jake Bonavia beat the buzzer to hand the Saints a slender lead heading into the final session.
Two goals from Jeremy Abela, a strike by Nikolai Zammit, and two crucial saves by San Ġiljan goalkeeper Jake Tanti further tipped the balance in favour of the Saints.
Dino Zammit offered Sliema a glimmer of hope with a goal to make it 15-14.
But the Blues were denied from completing their comeback as a five-metre penalty restored San Ġiljan’s two-goal cushion, sealing a 16–14 final scoreline.
Earlier, Valletta only assured themselves of the Premier Division in the last session when Ivan Nagaev, woke up to his responsibilities to hit a poker as the Citizens finally distanced themselves from their opponents.
Nagaev, stepped up when it mattered most with a four-goal haul in the last session – completing a stunning seven-goal tally overall. His heroics ensured the Citizens pulled clear of their rivals and joined Exiles in securing a top-flight spot.
Edward Aquilina’s Birżebbuġa had threatened an upset early on, racing to a 7-4 lead in the opening session.
However, Valletta regrouped in the second quarter, overturning the South Seasiders’ momentum to draw level at 10-10 by half-time.
The third session saw a tight and thrilling contest, with both sides trading goals in a balanced and entertaining eight-goal spell. But when it came to the final stretch, Nagaev took matters into his own hands, decisively tipping the scales in Valletta’s favour.
Birżebbuġa, despite their spirited effort, will now drop to Division One.
VALLETTA 21
BIRZEBBUĠA 16
(4-7, 6-3, 4-4, 7-2)
VALLETTA: A. Bugeja, M. Mifsud 4, M. Carani, J. Sciberras 2, S. Busuttil 1, J. Colombo, M. Zammit 1, I. Nagaev 7, K. Borg 1, K. Erdogan 3, M. Chircop 2, K. Cremona, G. Borg
BIRZEBBUĠA: M. Sladden, M. Aquilina 4, M. Cassar, N. Bursac 4, J. Ciantar 2, I. Galea, J. Abdilla, N. Saliba 1, D. Farrugia, M. Cutajar 1, M. Mannino 1, N. Bugelli 2, S. Livori, J. Saliba 1.
Refs: Federico Braghini, S. Licari
NEPTUNES 17
SIRENS 7
(4-1, 3-4, 5-0, 5-2)
NEPTUNES: Matthew Castillo, S. Gialanze 1, G. Zalanki 6, L. Mallia, J. Camilleri 1, J. Valletta 1, S. Camilleri 4, Mark Castillo 1, B. Schranz, J. Bajada 2, A. Fenech, M. Azzopardi 1, M. Rossi, E. Mallia.
SIRENS: J. Parnis, P. Serracino, N. Bicari 3, P. Borg, J. Cachia, K. Agius, M. Ortoleva 1, I. Riolo 2, J. Zerafa Gregory, M. Sciberras, Z. Mizzi, G. Farrugia, 1 M. Bonello Dupius, G. Pace.
Refs: Angelo Petraglia, Ronnie Spiteri
SLIEMA 14
SAN ĠILJAN 16
(4-1, 4-6, 3-5, 3-4)
SLIEMA: N.Grixti, E. Schembri 2, L. Galea 3, J. Gambin 2, J. Cassar, B. Cachia, J. Cutajar, D. Rizzo 1, J. Chircop, A. Galea, A. Vlachopulos 3, D. Zammit 2, B. Busuttil, S. Engerer
SAN ĠILJAN: J. Tanti, D. Bugeja, D. Tully, R. Caruana, A. Younger 4, J. Bonavia 1, B. Plumpton 3, J. Abela 3, N. Zammit 3, D. Zammit 1, N. Schiavone, Z. Attard, G. Bonavia
Refs: Federico Braghini, Massimo Anigileri
