Qormi beat Young Stars after extra time

Qormi Poiatti 6 Young Stars 4 (after extra time) Umpires: Luke Busuttil Leaver, Raymond Micallef

A match which proved to be one of the most exciting finals down the years - passion, commitment, tempo and high level technical ability with the game turning on its head on several occasions - definitely not a game for the faint hearted!

Young Stars went ahead within the first minute when Christian Bonello danced down the left flank and let fly a bullet into the far corner of the net to send his team 1-0 up.

Qormi reacted applying pressure on the Young Stars defence, and after fluffing a goal scoring chance, they won a penalty corner on 21 minutes and Juan Sarcia netted to level the score at 1-1.

On 23 minutes Thomas Degiovanni entered the D down the left flank and from a narrow angle hit the far post. On 25 minutes Qormi were awarded a penalty stroke and Sarcia scored from the spot to send them into a 2-1 lead which they held until the half time whistle blew.

Qormi went into a 3-1 lead a minute into the second half when Steve Tanti flowed into the D on an individual run and shot the ball into the far corner of the net.

On 38 minutes Qormi were awarded another penalty stroke but Sarcia missed from the spot.

Two minutes later Young Stars were awarded a penalty corner and Mark Camilleri scored to reduce the arrears to 3-2.

The game ebbed and flowed with gaps opening up but the teams gave no quarter and on 50 minutes Edward Hughes hit a tremendous volley from the top of the D to draw Young Stars level at 3-3.

Two minutes later Sarcia grabbed his hat trick when he scored as a result of a penalty corner action to send his team into a 4-3 lead.

Young Stars reacted strongly winning four penalty corners to no avail but scored on their fifth attempt just before the final whistle when Camilleri netted his second to send the game into extra time.

Qormi took a 5-4 lead when John Williams pushed home in the fifth minute of the first period of extra time.

It was Degiovanni who, a minute from the end of extra time, put this enthralling encounter to bed when he netted with a gem of a stroke from the top of the D to crown Qormi Knock Out winners.