The first match of season 2009, started off with a good performance for the young Exiles team!

Exiles 7 vs. Neptunes Vodafone 13
(1-2) (4-3) (1-4) (1-4)

Neptunes Vodafone, this summer coached by Italian Paolo Malara, were given a good run for their money by a greatly improving Exiles side.

The main protagonists of this match were five-goal Frenchman Aurelein Cousin, of Exiles, Italian Leonardo Sottani, and Karl Galea of Neptunes who both scored four times in the match.

Neptunes started the match with Ryan Sciortino in goal instead of Nicky Gouder, and the young lad had a discrete match.

Exiles battled bravely until half-time but then ran out of stamina as Neptunes made full use of their experience to clinch the points.

The turning point in the match came at the last minute of the second session when two dubious decisions gave Neptunes the draw - at that time Exiles were leading 5-3. At this point Exiles' Tchokmahidze had to be substituted having a bleeding gash to his left eye.

It was here that Neptunes increased their lead, in the third session, with Tchokmahidze out for the most part of the session.

Bad news was also for the Reds in that they had Serbian Aljosa Kunac injured when he hurt his hand when attempting to intercept a shot at goal!

Sottani, the Neptunes Italian foreign player, was under tight scrutiny in the last session but team-mate Karl Galea took over scoring three times in the process and four overall.

A point to mention is that Paolo Malara was coach of the French team Nice at the time when Aurelien Cousin was playing for the same club.

Exiles: A. Borg Cole, J. Rizzo Naudi, K. Rizzo Naudi, D. Pace Lupi (1), T. Sullivan, S. Cini, R. Tchokmahidze, K. Griscti, A. Zarb Cousin, A. Cousin (5), S. Vassallo, K. Enriquez, M. Calleja (1).

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon, T. Agius, K. Galea (4), E. Cachia, R. Sciortino, S. Camilleri (1), J. Camilleri, A. Kunac, S. Gravina, L. Sottani (4), M. Stellini (1), M. Pisani (3).

Referees: M. Angilleri, M. Dalli.