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HAM CHALLENGE CUP FINAL 2009/10

Ta’ Soldi Rabat Depiro vs Pasta Poiatti Qormi 7-6 (after penalty shoot out); (HT 1-0)
Umpires: Reno Cremona & Luke Busutill Leaver.

Contrary to what was expected the match did not create any spectacle with goal mouth action few and far between.

The first scoring chance came Qormi’s way when John Williams gathered a through ball from Steve Tanti but his flick at goal was saved by Ian Azzopardi. On the 8th minute Qormi’s defenders Andre Ghio and Owen Piscopo failed to clear a harmless ball and Josej Antonelli took full advantage of the situation by setting up Jonathan Micallef who beat Ramon Chircop from close range. On the 33rd Qormi almost equalized from a short corner action only for the ball to be cleared off the goal line by Shawn Falzon.

On the 41st Qormi were again unlucky not to equalize when a Ryan Brincat scorcher smacked against the upright. As the game progressed Qormi were getting frantic and erratic making it easy for Rabat to control proceedings. When everything seemed won and lost Qormi finally managed to equalize through Julian Zahra following a skirmish inside the Rabat D The game ended with Rabat forcing three short corners in a row with Ramon Chircop producing two first class saves.

Extra Time did not produce any scoring chances and penalties had to be taken to decide the encounter. In the first series of five penalties each, the teams tied at 3 all. In the second series Rabat won 4 – 3.

Match for 3rd and 4th place.
Laferla Insurance White Hart vs Mr. Clean Floriana Young Stars 4-3 (after penalty shoot out); (HT 3-2)
Umpires: Silvano Vassallo & Paul Brincat.

The first match of the day, was a ding dong battle by the defeated two semi finalists.

White Hart immediately went on the attack and by the 14th minute were already two up through Paul Torpiano on the 6th and Luke Borg Costanzi on the 14th from the penalty spot. Floriana pulled one back on the 19th, scored by Mark Camilleri from a short corner. However on the 25th Carl Tua restored White Hart’s two goal lead. Two minutes later Luke Busutill Leaver made it 3 -2 through yet another short corner action.

Five minutes into the second half Luke Busuttil Leaver equalized for Floriana when he forced his way through the White Hart defence. On the 48th Floriana forged ahead for the first time when from a counter attack Christian Bonello met a cross on the left and with a diving reverse hit beat Vassallo Agius. White Hart’s reaction was immediate and after Carl Tua hit the post on the 50th Tony Azzopardi made it 4 all on the 53rd. Luke Busuttil Leaver achieved his hat trick on the 57th with a swerving slap shot to make it 5 – 4. It was now all White Hart forcing one short corner after the other but it had to be another penalty stroke on the 32nd ably converted by Luke Borg Costanzi to make the final score read five all. From the penalty strokes that ensued, Floriana got the better of their opponents by the odd goal in seven.