Rabat 3
Young Stars 3

Young Stars started the game in a gallop and with two goals in quick succession by Chris Bonello.

Rabat reacted but it was Young Stars who nearly went further ahead when in the 23rd minute Marvin Vella hit the post.

A minute later Rabat pulled one back through Michael Galea but Young Stars struck back immediately when Luke Borg Costanzi re-established his team’s two-goal lead.

Rabat applied some hot pressure after the restart. Shawn Falzon missed a sitter but he made amends on 57 minutes to reduce the arrears.

Four minutes later, Falzon went one better as he hit his second and Rabat’s third to level the score at three all.

Young Stars were stung into action and although they forced three penalty corners in as many minutes, towards the end of this rather intriguing and exciting match, which ebbed and flowed first one way and then the other, the encounter ended with honours even.

Umpires: Paul Brincat, Luke Busuttil Leaver.

Sliema Hotsticks 1
Qormi 10

The first 15 minutes of this game gave no indication of what was about to follow but for one Qormi effort which was well parried by the Hotsticks custodian.

Then, on 19 minutes, Qormi won a penalty corner and John Williams prodded home after picking up a rebound.

The floodgates opened and in a six-minute spell Qormi scored four times to take a 5-0 lead.

Jonathan Borg hit home following a well-engineered move and he scored his second two minutes later. Steve Tanti got in on the act to make it 4-0 and on 31 minutes Borg notched his hat-trick.

Just before the interval Juan Sarcia scored Qormi’s sixth goal to all but end this match as a contest.

The second half followed the same pattern and Julian Zahra grabbed Qormi’s seventh in the 43rd minute.

In spite of their insurmountable lead, Qormi continued to attack, forcing six penalty corners in eight minutes which reaped no benefit.

However, in the 56th minute Tanti put them eight ahead from another goal created from open play.

Hotsticks were awarded a penalty stroke in the 60th minute and Ludolf Rasterhoff scored to pull one back.

But, Qormi were not finished yet and Tanti rounded up his hat-trick before Ciarlo Sammut found the net taking Qormi’s tally into double figures.

Umpires: Tony Azzopardi, Reno Cremona.

Standings
Qormi 8; Young Stars 8; Rabat 5; White Hart 2; Hotsticks 1.