Rabat D   5

Attard   0

Rabat retained second spot having won 47 points from 19 games, a point fewer than leaders Pembroke who they have to cross swords against in their last game which determines the Section winner.

Attard finished their games in fifth position on 30 points.

Most of the actions in the first period were created by Rabat. Attard crowded their penalty area and the Rabat forwards were finding it difficult to penetrate.

The Magpies started on the offensive and after Brandon Farrugia was fouled outside the area, Attard keeper Wallace Galea partly saved the free kick by the same player and Joseph Camilleri missed the upright from the rebound. Christian Schembri then served Chris Vella in the area but he was crowded out by two defenders who cleared the ball away.

Aidan Azzopardi served Vella in the area and Galea foiled him with a timely sortie while Nicolai Aquilina served Vella with a cross from the left flank and he missed the upright from inside the area.

Attard created their first action after 23 minutes as Ryan Micallef served Adrian Calleja with a cross from the right but he drove well off target from outside the area.

Rabat resumed with their pressing and Schembri served Azzopardi in the area after dribbling past an opponent on the right flank and Galea foiled him with a timely sortie.

Farrugia was then fouled outside the area and as Kurt Muscat floated a high ball in the area from the free kick Galea saved a header by Vella.

The same palyer then entered the area after dribbling past two defenders and Galea saved his shot to a corner.

Just before the half time whistle Rabat opened the score as Azzopardi served Schembri in the area with a cross from the left flank and he scored with a header.

Four minutes after the restart Attard came close to an equaliser when Calleja served Sean Agius in the area and Rabat keeper Mario Bonello saved his shot to a corner.

The score became 2-0 in the 47th minute. Shaun Abela served Vella in the area who, after dribbling past a defender, scored with a low shot.

The pressure from Rabat was incessant. Camilleri served Farrugia with a through ball outside the area but he missed the upright.

Rabat scored a third goal on the hour when Aquilina served Azzopardi in the area with a cross from the right flank and he netted with a header.

The fourth goal was scored in the 67th minute after a choral move between three players. Schembri served Azzopardi on the left flank who then served Vella with a through ball in the area and scored with a close-range shot.

A minute later Rabat were denied by the woodwork when Aquilina served Schembri in the area and the ball hit the base of the upright from his shot and finished in Galea’s waiting hands.

Two minutes before the end Rabat scored their fifth goal when Schembri served Vella with a through ball in the area and he scored with a lobbed ball.

Referee: Keith Buhagiar

Player of the match: Christian Schembri (Rabat)