Neptunes maintained their perfect start to the Maltese league season after surviving a late San Giljan fightback to secure a narrow 14-13 victory.
San Giljan began strongly despite the absence of suspended captain Matthew Zammit, with Jake Muscat scoring twice against his former club as they established an early three-goal advantage.
Neptunes gradually recovered, led by Steve Camilleri, who scored four times during a decisive turnaround. Ivan Nagaev and Jordan Camilleri also made important contributions as Neptunes moved from behind to take control of the contest.
The league leaders appeared to have secured the points after opening a 13-9 advantage, but San Giljan refused to surrender. Goals from Muscat, Dean Bugeja and Jerko Marinic-Kragic reduced the deficit to just one in the final quarter.
Muscat had an opportunity to level the match late on, but his effort drifted wide, allowing Neptunes to preserve their unbeaten record and strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
Before the match, San Giljan’s players staged a silent protest over refereeing decisions in their previous defeat against Sliema. The team turned their backs during the pre-match presentation, while supporters also stayed away from their usual section of the stand.
Elsewhere, Sliema recovered from a difficult opening period to defeat Exiles 16-12.
Exiles led 4-3 during the first quarter, but Sliema responded and gradually took control. A dominant third period proved decisive as the Blues scored four goals while conceding just once to open a comfortable advantage.
Jayden Cutajar was the outstanding performer, scoring six goals, while Jamie Gambin, Alberto Barroso and Dino Zammit all added two.
Francesco Scardino, Konstantin Averka, Alastair Cook and Matteo Martelacci scored twice each for Exiles, who remained competitive but were unable to recover from Sliema’s strong second-half display.
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