Hunters Tower Young Stars moved to the top of the standings after brushing aside the challenge of champions Punch & Judy Rabat with a clear 2-0 victory.

Hunters Tower YS 2
Punch & Judy Rabat 0

Punch & Judy Rabat came into this game on the back of three impressive and high-scoring games in which they had scored 15 goals and conceded just two.

Hunters Tower Young Stars were also unbeaten but had dropped two points against Sliema. For this game they were at full strength with skipper Charles Micallef back following his recovery from injury.

Rabat were without defensive lynch-pin Falzon. They were also forced to leave half-fit schemer Kevin Micallef on the bench.

Young Stars quickly got their act together and the constant running of their forwards was giving problems to the rather static and, at times, disorganised Rabat defence.

Rabat could not get their usually flowing game going as their rivals kept an almost constant pressure. Despite all this, however, Young Stars only took a one-goal lead into the half-time break courtesy of a penalty scored by Micallef following an infringement by Chris Bugeja.

Rabat brought in Micallef for the second half but it was obvious that he was not at his best. His contribution was minimal.

Young Stars remained the better side and deservedly scored their second through Edward Hughes. Rabat tried to get something out of the game but on the day they were forced to play second fiddle to a better team.

Sliema Hotsticks 1
Pasta Poiatti Qormi 0

Together with Young Stars, Sliema remain the only unbeaten side and with Sunday's victory they moved up to third place, three points less than the leaders but with a game in hand.

On Sunday, they were without Keith Vella and kept the injured Caruana Smith on the bench. Pasta Poiatti, who lost the services of the two foreigners who were so effective in the Challenge Cup, presented their usual formation based around Reuben Chircop in defence, Bianchi in midfield and Magri in attack.

The game had moments of good hockey and others of useless bickering between the players that interrupted the course of the game.

The early stages saw Sliema's attackers missing a couple of chances but midway through the half they got the all-important goal.

Following a period of sustained pressure, they were awarded a penalty that Liam Pace neatly put away with a flick to the top corner.