Qormi 3
Sliema Hotsticks 1

The 2013-14 National League champions will be determined in a decider, a repeat of last year’s scenario, after Qormi beat Sliema Hotsticks to join Young Stars at the top of the standings, both with 20 points.

The Hotsticks took the lead early on when they were awarded a penalty stroke which Shawn Grima converted.

The goal stunned the champions and conditioned play for the rest of the half, the only action of note being when Qormi squandered a chance midway through.

Half-time was reached with Hotsticks holding on to their slender lead but the second half turned into a different affair altogether.

At first, Hotsticks applied heavy pressure on their opponents but then, against the run of play, Thomas De Giovanni met a cross delivered from the left by Kyle Micallef and slotted home to draw Qormi level.

On 55 minutes, Qormi were awarded a penalty stroke and Juan Sarcia shot them into a 2-1 lead.

The tempo of the game became mainly dependent on fast breakaways but Qormi went further ahead two minutes from time when they were awarded a penalty stroke and Sarcia grabbed his second, sealing a 3-1 victory for his team.

The decider will be played next weekend.

White Hart 3
Rabat 7

The clock had hardly started ticking when Edward Degabriele netted a cross from David Agius to shoot White Hart ahead.

Rabat then won three penalty corners in succession and Shawn Falzon converted the third to draw the teams level.

Rabat went ahead when Falzon scored his second before Matthew Buhagiar made it 3-1 after an exchange of passes inside the D.

Just before half-time, White Hart were awarded a penalty stroke and Keith Laferla converted in style to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

White Hart started the second half in a lively fashion and Liam Azzopardi netted to equalise.

This stung Rabat and five minutes later they regained the lead when Mario Galea picked up a rebound off the keeper’s pads.

White Hart could have drawn level again but were wasteful in front of goal and they were punished when Jonathan Micallef shot Rabat 5-3 ahead, netting with a reverse hit from the top of the D.

Falzon grabbed his hat-trick and just before the final whistle Micallef scored his second to give Rabat a 7-3 victory.