Season 2005/06 saw Ta’ Soldi Rabat make a clean sweep of honours taking all the four senior competitions organised by the Hockey Association.
This season things don’t seem to be going their way. After conceding the Super Cup to BDO Hs, on Sunday they were dumped out of the Challenge Cup by The Hunters Tower YS and will now have to be content with the 3rd Place Play-Off.
They will be joined by BDO Hs who were beaten, for the second time in this competition, by Pasta Poiatti Qormi in the first semi-final of the day.
The Final between Pasta Poiatti and The Hunters Tower will be played on Sunday at 11.00. This will be preceded by the 3rd Place play-off at 9.00am.
For the second time in two weeks Pasta Poiatti Qormi got the better of BDO Hs and booked a place in Sunday’s Final. Pasta Poiatti have put together a neat outfit and reaching the Final is a just reward for the three good games they have played.
Their constant running and interchanging of roles is highly effective. On Sunday Steve Tanti gave them a half time lead after he opened the score following a fine solo run. Jonathan Borg, who was a constant threat through out the game, doubled the score early in the second half when he procured and then converted a penalty stroke.
BDO Hs reduced the score in the final minutes when Henry Cachia concluded a short corner move but there was little time for them to force extra time and save the game.
The second semi-final saw The Hunters Tower overcome Ta’ Soldi Rabat 2-1 with the goals coming from Mark Camilleri and Waylin Abdilla for The Hunters Tower and Jonathan Seychell responding for Ta’ Soldi. Charles Micallef (The Hunters Tower) and James Azzopardi (Ta’ Soldi) both missed a penalty.
Going on past winnings one would expect The Hunters Tower to win hands down. Out of the 20 editions of the Challenge Cup played so far they have won this trophy nine times.
Pasta Poiatti have recorded one solitary victory and this goes back to 1991. Obviously on the day this will count to very little. The two sides have already met in this year’s edition and Pasta Poiatti ran out 2-1 winners.
Even that result will mean little on the day because on present form both teams can make a strong claim to victory.