Exiles Elia Caterers 16 Sliema 14 

Partial scores (2-2) (4-4) (3-1) (3-5) – regular time.

Penalties 4-2

Gordon Zammit’s girls had to work hard to beat rivals Sliema in a nail-biting Knock – Out final played yesterday late afternoon when both teams clashed for the fourth time this season at the National Swimming Sports Complex.

The match was a curtain raiser in the three-match programme and was watched by an attentive crowd that slowly filled in the terraces.

The Blues took an early lead but at the half-way stage it was all square (6-6). In the third session Exiles nosed ahead (9-7) midway through the session, when a Sliema player was excluded for an illegal exit. A ‘time-out’ was called by the Exiles bench to try and shake-off their opponents’ resistance but failed to do so. At the other end a converted penalty shrunk the lead to a slender of a goal  (9-8) before the final rush.

The fourth session saw Sliema take the lead twice as the seconds ticked towards the final horn but Exiles reacted to draw level (12-12) 33 seconds to the finish on a splendid counter attached. Sliema called a ‘time-out’ but somehow Exiles got possession of the ball and a second ‘time-out’ was called by Gordon Zammit with 16 seconds remaining. The final shot missed the goal and both teams had to settle with a draw and proceed to penalties to declare the winner. Sliema missed their first two shots and it was downhill for Exiles as they potted theirs – four in a row to win the trophy.

The winning of the treble by Gordon Zammit and his girls is a historic achievement and next Thursday’s final match vs San Giljan at Exiles Pitch at 19.30 will crown a memorable season that will be long remembered by Exiles and its followers.

Gordon Zammit who had skipper Elena Borg missing, made use of just eight players throughout the match out of the squad made up of these ladies Abbey Bonello (1 goal – penalty), Isabella Sammut, Kaia Agius (2 goals – one penalty), Kendra Navarro (1 goal), Jaimilee Mulvaney, Alyssa Diacono (3 goals – one penalty), Martina Darmanin (2 goals), Maria Gatt, Giulia Zammit Lonardel (3 goals – one penalty), Michela Zammit (4 goals), Maia Bonello and Elisa Spiteri.

KaFa

photo by Adrian Farrugia shows the victorious Exiles’Ladies team after the presentation of the Knock-Out trophy

Comments