Rabat Ajax-Mosta 0-3
Rabat A: P. Velimirovic, I. Carapic, S. Gauci, D. Carrillo Pendas, C. Gauci, M. Licari (W. Borg), J. Bajada, D. Falzon, D. Pelaez, D. Azzopardi, M. Avila Perez
Mosta: O. Borg, M. Micallef, T. Farrugia, K. Farrugia, B. Agius (M. Brincat), R. Grech (K. Zammit), L. Duriska, R. Silva Faria, B. Kaljevic (C. Fernandes), Yuri De Jesus Messias, D. Pereira
Referee: A. Arciola
Asst.refs: T. Debono, A. Borg Cardona
Additional asst.refs: M. Spiteri, S. Spiteri
4th official:. J. Spiteri
Scorers: C. Fernandes 57 pen, 84, S. Gauci 76 og,
Yellow cards: D. Pendas, I. Carapic, D. Azzopardi, R. Grech, D. Falzon
Red card: D. Falzon
Player of the match: D. Pendas (Rabat A)
TMI top three: 1. M. Micallef 2. D. Pendas 3. C. Fernandes
Mosta followed up their win against Vittoriosa Stars last week with another victory over Rabat Ajax yesterday that give them six points from three matches. The scoreline flatters them though and Mosta were never that superior as this might suggest.
After a goalless first half during which both sides missed chances but Rabat looked slightly better, Cristian Fernandes went in as second half substitute for Mosta to steer them to victory, scoring two of their goals.
Mosta introduced yet another Brazilian recruit, Yuri Jesus Messias in midfield who replaced Ekani. Bryan Agius was given a start ahead of Alex Cini.
Mosta controlled large swathes of the game but were careless and unimaginative in the final third, with Daniel Pereira enduring a trying afternoon. Although they twice hit the Rabat post in the first period, It was only in the second that they managed to win the points by breaching the Rabat rearguard three times, although two of their goals came through a penalty and an own goal.
Rabat looked good enough to take at least a draw from this match and were disrupted by their own lack of finishing in attack. They carved out several good chances but failed to turn them into goals, with their main striker Avila Perez still looking rusty. It was down to their two Spaniards, Diego Pendas and Daniel Pelaez to breach the Mosta defence. Despite their industry in midfield, they failed to show enough sharpness and precision in front of the Mosta goal. The woodwork twice denied Rabat.
Mosta were patient in possession but with Malcolm Licari, Diego Pendas and Daniel Pelaez dropping back into a compact Rabat midfield, Ricardinho, Duriska and Messias rarely sensed a route through. Mosta started brightly, with incursions of Mano Micallef and Kaljevic down the right, but the delivery was poor. They were unable to force the Rabat keeper into one demanding save and their biggest threat in the first period came towards the half hour when Kaljevic almost capitalised on some hesitancy between Azzopardi and Licari inside the Rabat area, but rattled the bar with a fierce shot, only for Pereira’s grounder from the rebound to be saved by keeper Velimirovic. Six minutes before the break, defender Agius also clipped the bar with a long range lob.
However Rabat had looked more likely to score themselves by then. After ten unsettling minutes, a Pendas corner from the left was deflected off Mosta’s defender Kane Farrugia and rebounded off the bar.
On the quarter hour Licari connected well to a Pendas inviting cross from the right but hit his first timer narrowly wide. And three minutes later, they again went close with a Pelaez free kick from the right and Pendas’ firm header forced keeper Borg to tip the ball over the bar into a corner.
That heralded Rabat’s best patch in the first half. They lived to rue their missed chances.
The introduction of Cristian Fernandes for Kaljevic gave Mosta the much required impetus in the second half and Ricardhino also began to get more involved. Hardly 12 minutes after the restart they were awarded a penalty after Azzopardi bundled Mesias just inside the Rabat area. Fernandes tucked it up although the Rabat keeper guessed the flight of the ball.
On 64 minutes Micallef’s firm header on an Agius free kick demanded a smart save from keeper Velimirovic.
Rabat continued to create chances and miss them in equal measure through carelessness and ill luck. Avila Perez presented Pendas with an open chance with a cross from the byeline. Unmolested inside the Rabat area Pendas shot against the bar with a gaping goal at his mercy. Pelaez completely missed the target with his effort from the edge of the Mosta area on the right and on 73 minutes keeper Borg stretched himself to turn into a corner an insidious Pelaez free kick.
With Rabat probing for an equaliser, Mosta doubled their lead on 76 minutes. Rabat’s defender tried to intercept a tameless cross from Messias but miskicked the ball to beat his own keeper for an unlucky own goal.
Mosta ended on a high and even scored their third on 84 minutes. Pereira’s deep cross from the left was slightly deflected by the Rabat keeper only for Cristian Fernandes to head in at the far post.
To rub salt into Rabat’s wounds, their midfielder Dylan Falzon was sent off for a second caution two minutes from time.