Rabat crush Sliema in final group match

One look at the line-ups before Sunday's only game from the Challenge Cup would have left little doubt on the outcome of the game.

While Rabat were at full force, Sliema were missing Luke Mallia, Dylan Lentini, Andrei Imbroll, Michael Caruana Smith, Liam Pace and Simon Baldacchino from their standard starting XI.

Rabat are a hard nut to crack even on the best of days. So, conceding six first team players to them could only have one result.

Rabat pushed their foot down right from the first minute.

In the third minute, Micallef had saved off the line a Robert Aquilina short corner but three minutes later Rabat scored. Jonathan Seychell's shot was kept out by Sliema's Farrugia but Perales was on the edge of the dee to smash in the rebound.

Two minutes later Perales attempted a reverse hit that was saved by Farrugia. Then Aquilina had a goal correctly annulled. But in the 15th minute it was 2-0 for Rabat with a Seychell goal.

Rabat kept up the tempo with their midfield trio of Aquilina, Perales and Micallef constantly feeding their mobile front line of Seychell, Vella and Antonelli.

On 21 minutes Seychell got his second after being served by Antonelli. Five minutes later Robert Aquilina got onto the score sheet when he fired in following a short corner move. The half closed on 5-0 when Chris Bugeja concluded another short corner.

Caruana Smith had little to lose and during half-time reshuffled his formation. Sliema forced two short corners in the early minutes of the half and from the second Bezzina's hit went just wide.

The interval seemed to knock out Rabat's momentum and given the scoreline they seemed to ease off.

Sliema could have got a consolation goal when Bonnici failed to take advantage of a rebound following a save by the Rabat goalkeeper off a Bezzina hit.

Rabat eventually got their sixth goal when in the 29th minute it was Radojevic who scored from the edge of the dee.

Following this game three of the four semi-finalists are now known.

Young Stars will be facing Britannia Tours White Hart while Rabat will face the winner of the deciding game between Sliema Hs and Qormi, scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m.