The 2007/08 National League got underway with no real surprises.

Champions Rabat Depiro laid the cards on the table and showed that shifting them off their perch will be no easy task for any team, even though they only played last year’s wooden spoonists White Hart.

Young Stars got the better of Qormi in the second fixture for the day. It was already the third meeting between these two teams this year and Young Stars seem to have the edge at the moment.

Ta’ Soldi Rabat 6

Britannia Tours WH 2

Umpires: S. Cassar, M. Imbroll

White Hart’s preparations for a better season seem to be suspicious with the second tennis score against them in a week, but although their performance last week was abysmal, this match against Rabat was a different story but Rabat simply had too many guns for the reds.

In spite of this, it was White Hart who started sprightly. After the first three minutes, Matthew Buhagiar had already saved the ball off the line twice for Rabat from Carl Tua and Reno Bianchi strikes. However, Simon Agius still put White Hart in an unexpected lead through a well struck short corner.

Perhaps, this was a wake up call for Rabat as they mounted wave after wave of attacks, unduly concerned that this could perhaps be one of their unlucky days.

It was not long though before they got their break through an opportunistic equaliser by Kenneth Debattista when the White Hart defence thought the ball had gone out of play.

Rabat still kept on pressing and through one of their short corners, Simon Agius stopped a certain goal with his chest to commit a penalty stroke. Matthew Buhagiar did not fail in giving Rabat the lead to take them into half time with their minds at rest.

White Hart had not played badly and had, in fact, constructed some other chances but their front line was however no match for the Rabat defence.

In the second half White Hart started to hold their own and Luke Borg Costanzi broke through the middle, even rounded Azzopardi in the Rabat goal but hit his shot on the side of the goal.

At the other end, Josef Antonelli won a foul from an innocuous looking tackle and with White Hart looking at the umpire for an explanation they were forced to pick up the ball from the back of the net as Debattista struck the ball perfectly from Antonelli’s quickly taken free hit.

White Hart broke down completely after this and not only did they lose three of their men through injury but they conceded three further goals through Seychell, Vella and Rene Antonelli.

White Hart did manage to pull a goal back at the end of the match through David Agius but this was not enough to show for their performance.

Hunters Tower 3

Poiatti Qormi 1

Umpires: M. Imbroll, R. Cremona

As Qormi had already lost to Young Stars this season they opted for a cautious approach and tried to contain the opposition in midfield.

In spite of this, Qormi did have a good opportunity to open the score as early as the first minute but Waylin Abdilla in the Young Stars goal brought off a good save from a short corner set piece.

After this, the match was battled in midfield until the 14th minute. Joseph Dalli slipped the ball through Christian Bonello who evaded the tackles from four Qormi defenders before slipping the ball into the goal with a reverse push.

Qormi were rattled and did not manage to make a serious reaction. In fact it was Young Stars who nearly doubled at the stroke of half time when Christian Bonello missed a sitter.

Qormi’s reaction, however, came at the start of the second half when after some pressure they were awarded a penalty. Andre Ghio, who until that moment, had a 100% record from three penalties this year, saw his effort saved by Abdilla.

This proved to be the turning point of the match as in a counter attack Bonello for Young Stars passed to the unmarked David Evans to make it 2-0.

Qormi tried to keep up the pressure but Young Stars were still dangerous on the break.

In fact it was the keeper Chircop who kept them in the game when he saved well from another David Evans attempt. Qormi then managed to pull one back when Ludwig Xuereb scored from a well taken short corner.

This gave them the initiative to try and level the score but then, from another break, Evans was fouled by Chircop in the circle and Charles Micallef flicked well into the top corner from the resultant penalty stroke to take the score to 3-1 and beyond Qormi’s grasp.

The HAM competitions will now have a two-week break as the National Hockey Centre will be in use for other sports.