Rabat A.-Floriana 0-4

Rabat A: P. Velimorovic, I. Carapic, D. Pendas, C. Gauci, J. Bajada, D. Falzon, D. Pelaez, S. Gauci, P. Borg (A. Smeir), D. Azzopardi (Z. Tanti), M. Avila Perez (R. Micallef)

Floriana: D. Hanford, A. Scicluna, I. Edet (G. Favero), D. Bogdanovic (B. Farrugia), G. Roberts, I. Coronado (C. Caruana), S. Pisani, C. Borg, J. Borg, G. Muir, S. Borg

Referee: A. Harms (Wales)

Asst.refs: M. Gray, M. Roberts

4th official: H. Jones

Scorers: I. Coronado 11,54, 82, D. Bogdanovic 65

Yellow cards: D. Falzon, J. Bajada, I. Carapic, C. Gauci, D. Pelaez, R. Micallef

Player of the match: I. Coronado (Floriana)

TMI top three: 1. I. Coronado  2. G. Roberts  3. G. Muir

Attendance: 603

Back-to-back wins against Vittoriosa Stars last week and Rabat Ajax yesterday, enabled Floriana to erase their deficit and go on the plus side of the table with one point, leaving winless and pointless Rabat anchored to the bottom of the standings.

Floriana hammered a hapless Rabat side with Igor Coronado scoring a hat-trick and Daniel Bogdanovic notching the other, as the Greens produced their best football so far to give their fans a rare boost in what has been a troubled season.

There was little indication of what lay in store in the early stages with both sides showing why they are struggling down the wrong end of the table.

There was plenty of honest endeavour in the opening stages as the teams cancelled each other out before Floriana, playing the more fluid football, and Igor Coronado in particular, stamped their mark on the game with an opener after 11 minutes.

Coronado was allowed too much space on a Bogdanovic corner from the right to head in his first league goal of the season for the Greens.

Boosted by his goal, Coronado missed a sitter four minutes later, heading Clyde Borg’s cross over the bar. Past the quarter hour, Corondao again went close. His shot from outside the Rabat area thumped against the bar.

Rabat kept chasing their opponents and struggled to produce anything productive, despite the running of Pelaez, Pendas and Bajada in midfield. Rabat remained toothless in attack, with Avila Perez still looking rusty. When presented with a promising opportunity on 38 minutes, the Spaniard hit over.

Floriana could have increased their lead shortly before the break. Pisani arrived fractionally late on a Bogdanovic low cross from the right and Roberts’ drilling shot from outside the area was turned into a corner by a single-handed save from Rabat keeper Velimirovic.

Still the better team, Floriana took less than ten minutes to double their lead. Roberts provided a short pass to Igor Coronado to flick the ball past the helpless Rabhat keeper from inside the area.

With Rabat still trying to pull themselves into the match, Floriana struck again from a typical fast break on 65 minutes. Defending a Rabat corner, keeper Hanford set up Daniel Bogdanovic for the Greens’  third goal. Advancing from midfield, and ripping through the unbalanced Rabat defence, he beat keeper Velimirovic with a defiant strike before making way for Brooke Farrugia.

Floriana and Coronado were not yet finished. Eight minutes from time the Brazilian completed his hat trick as he pounced on Muir’s cross and scored with some clinical finish.