San Ġiljan MAA Daikin were crowned BOV Water Polo Premier Division Winter League champions after edging past fierce rivals Sliema Techfinity Hub Ltd 25-24 in a dramatic title decider that was settled by a marathon penalty shoot-out.
The championship race went down to the wire after Sliema defeated San Ġiljan in the final round of the regular season, leaving both sides level on points at the top of the standings and forcing a play-off to determine the title winners.
Sliema made the brighter start and quickly opened a 4-1 advantage in the opening session through goals from Benji Cachia, Liam Galea and Dino Zammit, while San Ġiljan struggled to capitalise on their man-up situations.
However, the Saints responded strongly in the second session. Goals from Nikolai Zammit, Matthew Zammit and Dean Bugeja erased the deficit after Sliema had looked comfortable at 6-3.
Although Sliema restored a two-goal lead before half-time through Galea, the momentum had clearly shifted as San Ġiljan grew into the contest.
The third session remained finely balanced, with both teams trading goals in a fiercely competitive battle. San Ġiljan repeatedly fought back through Nikolai Zammit, Ben Plumpton and Jeremy Abela, while Sliema continued to respond through Cachia, Galea, Engerer and Zammit to maintain a narrow 12-10 lead heading into the final quarter.
The final session produced extraordinary drama.
Goals from Luigi Dimech and Russell Caruana brought San Ġiljan level before Plumpton handed the Saints their first lead of the match with a brilliant back-shot finish.
Sliema replied through Benji Cachia, but the turning point arrived when Liam Galea was excluded for brutality, leaving Sliema a player short for the remainder of the encounter.
Plumpton converted the resulting penalty and later added another goal to put San Ġiljan 15-13 ahead.
Yet Sliema refused to surrender. Dino Zammit and Benji Cachia both found the net to level the score again at 16-16, while San Ġiljan goalkeeper Kaszanyi produced a crucial penalty save from Elijah Schembri to keep his side alive.
The title was eventually decided in a tense and lengthy penalty shoot-out, with both teams displaying remarkable composure under pressure.
Jeremy Abela, Luigi Dimech, Darren Zammit, Nico Schiavone and Ben Plumpton all converted for San Ġiljan, while Sliema stayed in contention through successful efforts from Jake Cachia, Dino Zammit, Elijah Schembri and Benji Cachia.
The decisive moment finally came when Benji Cachia missed his penalty attempt, sparking jubilant celebrations among the San Ġiljan players and supporters.
The triumph also secured a remarkable fourth consecutive Winter League title for San Ġiljan MAA Daikin, further strengthening their status as one of Malta’s dominant water polo clubs.
The trophy was presented by Ernest Agius, Chief Operations Officer at Bank of Valletta, together with Karl Izzo, president of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, who praised both teams for an outstanding and highly competitive season.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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