Champions Rabat Depiro and Sliema Hs will contest the final honour of the season when on Sunday at 10am they will met in the KO final. In the semi-finals played on Sunday, Sliema came from two goals down to beat The Hunters’ Tower 3-2 while Rabat Depiro saw off Poiatti Qormi 3-1 in the second semi-final.

Meeting for the third time in a month, Sliema Hs and The Hunters’ Tower produced another tense and balanced game that was characterised by the concession of four penalty strokes and which saw Sliema come back from two goals down to win the game.

After an early short corner for Sliema, it was The Hunters’ Tower who took the initiative. A sequence of short corners failed to produce anything but after ten minutes they struck. Sliema seemed to have cleared a short corner but the persistence of Charles Micallef won the ball back for The Hunters’ Tower and the same Micallef was impeded in the dee for the first penalty award. Micallef did not hesitate and took the stroke himself, beating Mallia in the Sliema goal.

Sliema were rattled and eight minutes later went further behind as Micallef put in a good cross from the left and an unmarked Nicky Agius Darmanin slipped the ball past Mallia.

At this stage Sliema had to react; first Keith Scicluna forced The Hunters’ Tower goalkeeper Mizzi into a good save and then Henry Cachia deflected a short corner onto the post.

Sliema’s pressure finally paid off when they were awarded a stroke following an infringement by a defender following a Shawn Mifsud flick. Mifsud then stepped up and beat Mizzi from the spot. 2-1 at half-time.

The first action of note in the second half came after 13 minutes as The Hunters’ Tower Waylin Abdilla put in a good cross from the right which was met by Bonello but his conclusion went wide.

In the 17th minute Sliema were awarded a short corner and Liam Pace’s goal bound hit was stopped on the feet of a defender. Penalty stroke number three. Shawn Mifsud stepped up again but this time Mizzi saved.

The Hunters’ Tower were now on the back foot and their goalkeeper was twice called into action to two consecutive shots from Pace. After 21 minutes Sliema were awarded a third penalty stroke as Pace was impeded on the point of hitting at goal. This time Pace took the stroke and equalised.

The final minutes saw both sides doing their best to avoid extra time and one minute from time Sliema got their winner. The Hunters’ Tower defence failed to clear a short corner and Cachia beat Mizzi to the ball to send Sliema to the final.

Rabat’s quest for a clean sweep of honours continues as they moved into the final overcoming Poiatti Qormi 3-1.

Rabat Depiro have won the last two KO competitions and a third straight double victory would put them in the record books together with the Young Stars side of 1978-1981.

On Sunday they were soon in front as after three minutes Shawn Falzon, set up by Branko Radojevic, flicked well to beat Azzopardi and open the score.

Rabat tried to press home their advantage and after 14 minutes it was Seychell who missed a sitter. Two minutes later Josef Antonelli forced a save from Qormi’s goalkeeper.

Poiatti forced their first short corner after 25 minutes but Rabat continued to dominate and on the half hour doubled the score. Antonelli’s hit from the top of the dee was blocked by the goalkeeper but Jason Vella was quick to the rebound to score number two.

Vella almost got his second a minute later but Azzopardi blocked well. Qormi’s reply came in the final minute with two consecutive short corners but Bugeja’s hits from the top of the dee went just wide.

The early minutes of the second half saw Rabat still with the upper hand but slowly Poiatti were forcing themselves into the game and in the 14th minute after a great through ball from Jonathan Borg, Frank Bugeja was fouled in the dee and Qormi were awarded a stroke. Jonathan Borg converted and Poiatti were back in the game.

Rabat moved quickly to re-establish their two goal lead as Seychell missed another good chance and Radojevic saw his hit stopped by Azzopardi. At the other end it was Frank Bugeja who almost levelled the score but his missile was brilliantly saved by Rabat’s Azzopardi and two minutes from time Rabat sealed the issue as Josef Antonelli was handed an easy tap in goal by his team mate Seychell.

Both sides will be eager to win Sunday’s game. As explained earlier on, Rabat would pick up a third consecutive double and at the same time make a clean sweep of all local honours for season 2005/6. Sliema Hs on their part haven’t claimed a major honour since 1998/99 when they won the KO.

Without doubt Rabat will have to start as favourites. The sides have met four times this year with Rabat winning 6-0 in the Challenge Cup and the three league encounters finishing twice draw (2-2 on both occasions) and once with a 5-1 victory for Rabat. If normal time ends in a draw, then extra-time with the golden goal rule will be played. If the issue is undecided after extra-time then the final will be replayed the following Sunday.