By Australia Water Polo -

A valiant three-goal effort by 18-year-old Chris Dyson was not enough to get Australia across the line against Italy in the men’s water polo at Podgorica, Montenegro. Italy defeated the Aussies and winning the fifth-place play-off 11-10 in the FINA World League Super Finals.

The game was locked at 6-all by three-quarter time and in a flurry of goals in the final eight minutes, Italy gained the edge.

Balmain Tiger Dyson only played the first of his seven internationals last month in Adelaide and is proving a real find on this tour.

He was backed up by Daniel Lawrence (19) and Biller Miller (20), who are also raw on the international scene with just 25 internationals between them.

Tim Cleland toiled well at centre forward, drawing four exclusions and a penalty foul while goalkeeper James Stanton made 11 saves.

Australia converted only two from seven on extra but let in five of Italy's 10 attempts.

The team, which was vastly different from that which won bronze medals in the past two years, should be happy with its effort, especially the narrow two-goal loss to eventual champion Montenegro, who beat world champion Croatia 8-7 in the gold-medal final.

Outgoing four-time champion Serbia gained the bronze medal with a 9-7 victory over the United States of America while Japan beat South Africa 11-9 in the play-off for seventh.

Congratulations to Australia’s Danny Flahive, who refereed the bronze-medal final between Serbia and the USA.

Results:
FINA World League Super Finals, (men)
Podgorica, Montenegro, Day 6:
Play-offs:
for 7th & 8th, Japan 11 South Africa 9
for 5th & 6th, Italy 11 Australia 10 (C Dyson 3, R Campbell, B Miller, D Lawrence 2, R Howden)
for 3rd & 4th, Serbia 9 USA 7
for 1st & 2nd, Montenegro 8 Croatia 7