Clinical Rabat make wasteful White Hart pay

Laferla Insurance White Hart met Genaudio Rabat Depiro in a group A match from the Challenge Cup last weekend.

In the initial stages, the game was balanced with the first scoring chance falling White Hart’s way but Carl Tua was denied by Rabat goalkeeper Ian Azzopardi.

As the match progressed, Rabat, slowly but surely, took control of midfield. On 18 minutes, White Hart’s Giancarlo Torpiano cleared a Rabat attempt off the line.

Five minutes later, White Hart conceded a penalty stroke when Vassallo Agius brought down Josef Antonelli inside the D. James Azzopardi made no mistake, planting the stroke well beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.

White Hart produced an immediate reaction. They were denied what looked like a clear penalty stroke when Luke Busuttil Leaver was deliberately pushed off the ball inside the D.

Two minutes into the second half, Rabat were awarded a second penalty but James Azzopardi’s flick hit the upright. In the 45th minute, White Hart had a great chance to draw level but the young Zahra just failed to connect when well placed.

White Hart kept insisting and on 60 minutes, Busuttil Leaver played a pass to Paul Torpiano whose rising flick hit the side rigging with the Rabat custodian out of position.

White Hart paid dearly for these misses. On 62 minutes, they gave away a short corner from which Rabat doubled their lead through Josef Antonelli who deflected a hit at goal past Vassallo Agius.

Three minutes later, White Hart pulled one back through Luke Borg Costanzi following a short corner action but Rabat soon restored their two-goal lead. Kevin Micallef profited from some careless marking inside the D to score Rabat’s third.

Just before the final whistle, a mazy dribble by White Hart’s Sandro Bartolo almost produced a second goal for his team had it not been for a fine save by Azzopardi.