San Ġiljan MAA Daikin are the BOV Water Polo Premier Division Winter League champions for the fourth consecutive year after a breathtaking penalty shootout victory over Sliema Techfinity Hub in a title decider that had absolutely everything.
The two sides had finished the regular season level on points after Sliema won the final round match between the pair, making a play-off inevitable. What followed was one of the most dramatic encounters in recent Maltese water polo memory.
Sliema made the brighter start, racing into a 4-1 lead in the opening session through Benji Cachia, Liam Galea and Dino Zammit. San Ġiljan struggled to make their man-up opportunities count early on, but they fought back brilliantly in the second session. Goals from Nikolai Zammit, Matthew Zammit and Dean Bugeja levelled matters before Sliema nudged back in front heading into the break.
The third session was equally tense, with both sides refusing to give an inch. San Ġiljan repeatedly pulled level through Nikolai Zammit, Ben Plumpton and Jeremy Abela, but Sliema held a narrow 12-10 advantage going into the final quarter.
The last session was extraordinary. Luigi Dimech and Russell Caruana brought San Ġiljan level before Plumpton fired them in front for the first time with a spectacular back shot. Sliema hit back, but the match turned when Liam Galea was excluded for brutality, leaving them a man down. Plumpton converted the penalty and added another to make it 15-13, only for Sliema to drag it back to 16-16 and force a shootout.
In the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Kaszanyi produced a crucial save from Elijah Schembri to keep San Ġiljan alive. Both teams converted a string of penalties before the decisive moment arrived when Benji Cachia missed his attempt, handing San Ġiljan a famous victory.
The trophy was presented by Ernest Agius, Chief Operations Officer at Bank of Valletta, and Karl Izzo, President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, who congratulated both teams on an outstanding season.
Bank of Valletta continue to support local water polo through their partnership with the Aquatic Sports Association.
