HAM

Punch & Judy Rabat finally completed the Double when they won the KO competition for the second time in their short, but albeit highly successful history. Saturday's victory capped a successful season for the Rabat that also saw them win the Super Cup and League, besides finishing runners-up in the Challenge Cup and second in the European Champions Challenge 11.

On Saturday the Hunters Tower Rest started stronger but Punch & Judy soon took command of procedures treating regularly Mizzi's goal. Ironically during their best spell, Rabat conceded advantage to their opponents. On 24M following a rather clumsy challenge by Falzon, Young Stars were awarded a penalty that skipper Charles Micallef duly converted. Rabat seemed to have lost the plot momentarily but Young Stars failed to capitalize and were punished on the stroke of half time. At innocuous cross from outside the dee seemed destined to go beyond the back line but hit the post and rebounded right in the path of Seychell who had little difficulty in tapping in.

Rabat kept the momentum going into the second half and they got the winner on 17M when Kevin Micallef was left unmarked in the dee and slipped the ball under Mizzi for the all important goal. The remaining minutes of the game never reached great heights and were characterised by some unnecessary and unusual bickering between the two sets of players, sterile pressure from Young Stars and a couple of wasted breaks from Rabat.

Saturday's game brought the curtain down on a watershed season for Maltese hockey. It was the first season in which hockey in Malta was played on a synthetic surface and the first time an officially recognised international tournament was held in Malta. Hockey in Malta is slowly but defiantly surely coming of age.

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