Sliema, Neptunes to renew rivalry in play-off final

A dramatic finale in yesterday’s big match of the day sent Sliema into the final and San Ġiljan reeling to finish the season empty-handed. For San Ġiljan it was a must-win match for them as Sergio Afric’s side went into the match with a psychological advantage having started the best-of-three series with a 1-0 headstart following a change in ASA regulations which rewarded teams finishing above their opponents in the league standings. A hotly- disputed goal by San Ġiljan brought controversy in a rousing finale which in the end brought satisfaction on the faces of the Sliema players when Michael Spiteri Stained beat the buzzer to give the Blues a 10-9 victory. It was yet another match which left the crowd on tenterhooks. Sliema made a flying start as they took a 2-0 lead over an edgy San Ġiljan. The Saints were thwarted by an unyielding Blues rearguard who only succumbed to a Matthew Zammit goal in the dying seconds after Gavril Subotic and Norbert Hoznyansky had scored for the Blues. The Balluta team were galvanised by that snap goal as they bossed the second quarter with the smart Dino Zammit scoring a hat-trick and Matthew Zammit and Niksa Dobud netting the other goals for San...