White Hart 4
Rabat 5
This game started with a flourish, White Hart establishing an early two-goal lead through Kyle Micallef and Daniel Seifert.
Rabat reacted strongly, winning five penalty corners between the 15th and 26th minutes and as a result of the latter, Mario Galea pulled one back, the score remaining unchanged at the end of the first half.
The second half came alive when in the 38th minute David Agius met a hard-hit cross from the left to score a spectacular goal putting White Hart 3-1 up.
This opened the door for an avalanche of goals. A minute later Galea netted his second to reduce Rabat’s deficit and in the 53rd minute Seifert scored for the second time on the day for White Hart to put his team 4-2 up.
More excitement followed as Galea completed his hat-trick a minute later and in the 56th minute Shawn Falzon drew Rabat level from a penalty corner.
Both teams pressed for the winner and in the 67th minute Kyle Alamango, receiving from Galea, netted Rabat’s fifth goal which sealed victory for his side in a very entertaining encounter.
Umpires: James Mizzi, Andre Ghio.
Qormi 0
Young Stars 1
This was a hard-fought encounter with a well-marshalled Young Stars team snatching victory with a goal scored in the second half.
Qormi pressed hard from the start and forced a series of penalty corners from which they did not benefit.
In the 26th minute Young Stars won their first penalty corner as a result of which Ramon Chircop, Qormi’s goalkeeper, effected a fine save to push the ball over the bar.
Young Stars went ahead on 43 minutes when a pin-point pass by Mark Camilleri was lashed on to by Chris Bonello who slipped the ball past Chircop as he came out to narrow the angle.
The pattern of the first half repeated itself with Qormi applying most of the pressure winning another six penalty corners but not being able to breach the experienced Young Stars rearguard.
The final whistle sounded with Young Stars running out the top team in an intriguing match.
Umpires: Luke Busuttil Leaver, Manuel Imbroll.
Standings
Qormi 6; Young Stars 5; White Hart, Rabat 2; Sliema Hotsticks 1.