On Sunday Rabat clinched the 2005/06 League title following their 3-1 victory over Poiatti Qormi. This is their fifth consecutive title and matches the record set by Young Stars between seasons 1978/79 and 1982/83.

It was also their seventh title in nine years and now puts them two titles short of the nine titles won by Young tars and White Hart. It also means that this season they have won three honours out of three and are in line for a clean sweep once the KO competition gets under way at the end of the League campaign.

Clear favourites from the start, Rabat are still to be beaten and on current form this seems hardly likely. Contrary to pre-season indications, it was Sliema Hs who kept pace with Rabat.

This was until the end of the second round when their challenge faded following a couple of drawn results and finally ended at the start of the second round with a defeat in the direct clash.

On Sunday Rabat won a tough game against Poiatti Qormi, a team that was going through a good patch of form. Rabat had Branko Radojevic in fine form, reminiscent of his earlier playing days with White Hart. His short corner strikes caused all sorts of problems to the Poiatti defence. Radojevic marred an otherwise excellent performance with an expulsion in the final minutes of the game.

After two earlier attempts by Radojevic were blocked by the Poiatti defence, it was Qormi who took the lead when the upcoming Jonathan Borg beat Azzopardi from the edge of the dee. The game began to flow with both sides having their chances although Rabat had a slight edge especially from set pieces. In fact from one of these they equalised when Radojevic flicked in from a short corner move.

Rabat got off the mark strongly in the second half and after 11 minutes took the lead when this time it was Kevin Micallef who concluded a short corner move with a neat flick past Chircop. Rabat were now in control and Poiatti rarely threatened. Eight minutes from time they made sure of the points when from another short corner action Radojevic scored his second.

In the first game of the day, The Hunters’ Tower kept their chances of taking the runner up spot alive when they beat Britannia Tours WH by three goals to one. They have now moved within three points of Sliema Hs with both teams having two games to play. While Sliema end their commitments against Poiatti Qormi, The Hunters’ Tower will be facing Rabat. In the meantime however, before these concluding matches, the two teams will be meeting in a direct clash and it will be this game that will most probably decide second place.

On Sunday The Hunters’ Tower took a three-goal lead into the half-time break, with the three goals coming in the space of ten minutes late in the half.

First Ivan Magro concluded a goalmouth melee in front of Galea’s goal, then Mark Camilleri scored from a short corner move and finally Ivan Magro scored his second when he was picked up by a fine through ball from Andre Camilleri and concluded from the top of the dee.

Britannia Tours got their consolation goal early in the second half, when Busutill Leaver transformed from the penalty spot but despite further efforts from Britannia Tours the result was never in doubt.