St Andrews 2

Rabat 1

The final score does not reflect the true difference between the two teams as St Andrews were by far the much better outfit during the game by creating much more occasions of scoring than Rabat. They were also denied three times by the wood work.  

Following this game St Andrews are fifth from bottom on 25 points from 19 games while Rabat are in last placing on only three points from 20 games. 

Rabat created the first action when Nicolai Attard released Christopher Cortis on the right flank who then crossed to Aidan Azzopardi in the area but the ball was cleared away by a defender.

In the first action by St Andrews, Clyde Cumbo drove out from inside the area after a flag kick by Ben Zahra. 

St Andrews forged ahead in the 6th minute as Neil Pace Cocks served Zahra in the area and he scored with a grounder past Rabat keeper Andrew Muscat.

Encouraged by such an early lead, St Andrews resumed with their pressing and mounted three further actions.

Cumbo served Max Thake in  the area but he drove over the bar. In the 17th minute they were denied by the crossbar after Thake served Jacob Falzon with a square pass and the ball thumped the bar from his hard drive and landed in Muscat’s waiting hands.

Cumbo then released Zahra on the left flank and Muscat neutralised the ball from his cross-shot.

In an action by Rabat, Cortis served Clayton Azzopardi in the area but St Andrews keeper Jake Galea saved his weak header.

St Andrews then created two actions before the break. Thake served Zahra with a through ball who, after beating a defender, drove slightly out from inside the area. In a similar action, Zahra hit the upright with a lobbed ball with Muscat well out of position.

The second period was a total domination by St Andrews as Rabat created only two actions. Zahra dribbled past three defenders and drove slightly out from outside the area. Falzon released Ryan Sammut on the right flank whoserved Thake in the area but Muscat foiled him with a timely sortie.

Sammut dthen ribbled past a defender on the right flank and served Pace Cocks with a cross outside the area but Muscat saved his effort in two attempts.

St Andrews doubled the score in the 54th minute. Sammut dribbled past an opponent on the right flank and served Cumbo outside the area who scored with a hard rising shot beating Rabat substitute keeper Andrew Zammit.

The pressure from St Andrews resumed as they created two more actions.Thake released Falzon on the right flank who served Cumbo with a cross outside the area and the ball missed the upright from his shot.

After Thake was fouled outside the area, the ball hit the upper part of the bar from the free kick by Cumbo.

In the first action by Rabat in the 66th minute, John Saliba dribbled past a defender and after entering the area Galea saved his close-range shot.

Rabat reduced the gap in the 67th minute when Nicolai Attard dribbled past a defender on the left flank who then served substitute Luke Galea in the area who netted with a low shot.

In the last action before the end, Falzon was fouled on the right flank and Cumbo drove well over the bar from the free kick.

Referee: Alex Johnson 

Player of the match: Ben Zahra (St Andrew)