Ħamrun Spartans 1
Fenech 17
Qormi 2
Grima 47; Bartolo 52
You can take away their best strikers - Alfred Effiong and Camilo - but you cannot stop Qormi taking points off their opponents.
Jesmond Zerafa's side walked away from the Victor Tedesco Stadium with three precious points and no questions raised on the side's potential to challenge for the title.
Qormi produced a virtuoso second-half show to shatter Ħamrun Spartans and expose their imbalance formation that makes the Spartans seem just as likely to concede as they are to score.
With Qormi deprived of their entire first choice forward line, Zerafa devised a novel tactical solution in using midfielder Matthew Bartolo as a makeshift central forward in a 4-1-4-1, frequently creating central attacking vacuum that encouraged great fluidity.
Back in the middle of the park after suspension, Massimo Grima was detailed to offer extra cover to the defence as Joseph Farrugia was stationed behind Bartolo.
On his part, Stephen D'Amato who was spoilt for choices, opted again for a 4-2-4 formation that has since the arrival of Ian Zammit, become Ħamrun's default shape with Zammit lining-up on the right-hand side of an attacking trident with Joao Batisita Mawete at its tip and Marcelo Pereira on the right and with Gaetan Spiteri as the central attacking fulcrum in front of two midfielders - Manolito Micallef and Rupert Mangion.
But the man who made all the difference in the opening exchanges was again defender Roderick Fenech when he rose above everyone to power a header into the back of the net to deliver a 17th-minute opener.
Few minutes before, a smart passing allowed Ian Zammit in for a strike but his shot was straight at Matthew Farrugia who cleared with his feet.
After having weathered the Spartans' early surge, Qormi's momentum was set in motion. On 25 minutes, onrushing Ian Casha stretched out an arm to counter Bartolo's venture into the area. As Qormi's confidence rose, so did the numbers they threw men into the attack; a dangerous policy against the Spartans.
Eager to overlap, new recruit Duncan Pisani delivered a precise cross that arrived on Ryan Deguara's head but his looping header was blocked by Fenech, the ball fell into the path of Farrugia but Hrubsa blocked miraculously with the face Qormi's second attempt on the half hour mark.
Qormi were now in control, Bartolo and Deguara tucking in at the central midfield to expose Ħamrun's imbalanced formation, yet breaking wide when Clyde Camoin and Mark Anthony Bonnici offered them a path down the wings.
They continued to look dangerous, although Zerafa's side would not have expected to be handed an equaliser by their opponents. Even if Fenech got the slightest of touches to a free-kick by Massimo Grima the ball was going wide until Casha contrived to turn it into his own net.
And Qormi's comeback was complete two minutes later when Bartolo tormented the Spartans with a dazzling solo run, jinking past three players, before cooly placing the ball beyond Casha on 52 minutes.
Yet, the Spartans were not shell-shocked and staged a late rally in search of the equaliser. Qormi had to survive an onslaught and Zerafa had to make a change, sending in a defender Malcolm Buttigieg for the impressive Deguara.
Qormi escaped unscathed after 77 minutes, when unmarked in the box, Micallef got to the ball before he incredibly fluffed it over the bar.
Then, three minutes from time, Qormi failed to deal with Mangion's cross and Mawete pounced in but he did the impossible, knocking the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Just before the final whistle, Mawete did get the ball into the net when the Portuguese was on the line to bundle it over from close range, yet referee Paul Caruana annulled the goal having adjudged the striker was in an offside position.
Qormi: M. Farrugia-6, R. Dos Santos-6.5, D. Pisani-6.5, J. Bondin-6.5, S. Wellman-7.5, J. Farrugia-6, M. Bartolo-8.5 ('90, G. Buttigieg), Grima-7, R. Deguara-7.5 ('79 M. Buttigieg), K. Spiteri-6.5 ('86 S. Meilak), S. Giglio-5.
Ħamrun: I. Casha-5, M.A. Bonnici-6, R. Mangion- 6, R. Fenech-5, M. Micallef-6.5, M. Pereira-5, G. Spiteri-5, M. Hrubsa-5, J. Batista Mawete-4.5, I. Zammit-5, C. Camoin-4.5.
Referee: Paul Caruana.
Yellow cards: R. Fenech, K. Spiteri, G. Spiteri, M .Micallef, M. Bartolo.
BoV player of the match: Matthew Bartolo (Qormi).