Exiles Elia Caterers 13 Birzebbugia 11

Partial scores (4-0) (3-2) (4-3) (2-6)

Exiles booked their place in this season’s Premier Waterpolo League when earlier this evening they beat Birzebbugia to end third in Group A of the Preliminary Round with seven points to their tally.

As the partial scores indicate, Exiles were in the driving seat throughout the first three sessions to build a six-goal gap (11-5). In the final eight minutes they managed to increase the margin to seven (13-6) five minutes from time but were somewhat erratic and the Southerners took the opportunity of reducing the difference to two by the final horn. Crucial was a penalty saved by Exiles custodian Matthew Castillo in the last 100 seconds with the score 13-10. B’Bugia reduced the margin (13-11) in the second of the two exclusions of Exiles’ players, but with only 37 seconds left, Exiles kept their cool and won the points and qualification.

Both teams converted two of the three penalties awarded. Exiles managed to score all their four man-up situations whilst B’Bugia scored 3 of their 9 man-ups.

Igor Vukanovic had the following players at his disposal Matthew Castillo, Michele Stellini (1 goal), Andrew Magri, Marco Jelaka (3 goals), Timmy Sullivan (3 goals) Sean Xerri de Caro, Mark Fenech, Kurt Griscti, Milos Vukicevic (5 goals), Aurelien Cousin, Nicky Paris (1 goal), Philip Paris, Simon Apap and second goalkeeper Max Martin.

Congratulations to Igor Vukanovic and his team on achieving this qualification in this year’s competition.

The next series of matches involving Exiles will be ‘cross over’ clashes with the three teams that qualified from Section B, Sirens, Neptunes and Marsaxlokk.

Tuesday 2nd July at 19.30, Exiles take on Neptunes.

KaFa

Photo by Adrian Farrugia shows Exiles’ players wearing white caps Timmy Sullivan (5), Aurelien Cousin (10) and Milos Vukicevic (9) blocking a Birzebbugia attack.

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