Tarxien Rainbows 1
Lopes Silva 24;
Rabat Ajax 0

For the majority of teams beneath the hitherto undisputed leading trio of Valletta, Hibs and Birkirkara, the Premier League campaign has been a rollercoaster ride.

Tarxien are now slowly and surely gaining a significant edge over their rivals as yesterday they strengthened their grip on fourth place ahead of the start of the Championship Pool.

Facing bottom-side Rabat Ajax, who had failed to win any of their previous 20 Premier League matches, the Rainbows looked strangely low-key.

But although their performance never reached the desired standards, they deserved to take all points as they were the livelier side throughout but they were let down by the poor finishing of their forwards on more than one occasion after Marco Lopes Silva’s thunderbolt had given them a first-half lead.

On their part, Rabat despite their pressing need to score the first win, hardly tested the Rainbows defence and only a sound performance from their keeper Sean Mintoff prevented Tarxien from adding to their lead.

Rabat were virtually at full strength, bar new recruit Malcolm Licari and the long-term absentees Adam Smeir, Ryan Micallef and Chris Schembri.

With Brazilian midfielder Andrezinho serving a one-match ban, Mizzi detailed compatriot Leandro to step into his boots.

The early exchanges produced little in the way of creative football. But the Rainbows could have broken the ice after 15 minutes but for a tipping save from Mintoff on a Branislav Timotic headed effort from a Lopes Silva corner.

Play continued to sway from one end to the other. Manuel Fuster whipped in a teasing cross but Armaro Negrin’s glancing header finished over.

At the other end, Mintoff effected another fine save to keep out Andrew Agius’s firm drive.

The red-shirted players seized the lead from their next raid. The clock marked 24 minutes when the Rainbows were awarded a free-kick from an inviting position. Lopes Silva hit a powerful shot past the Magpies’ defensive wall and into the low corner of the net as Mintoff’s desperate dive was to no avail.

One here expected Rabat to react to that setback by they looked short of ideas as the Rainbows easily administered their lead until the half-time interval.

Utterly unconvincing in the opening half, Rabat started the second period in lively fashion.

Three minutes into the second half, Ivan Carapic headed over from Diego Carrillo Pendas’s cross.

The Ajax were also dangerous eight minutes later when the Spaniard’s free-kick from the left caused havoc in the Tarxien box.

Mizzi’s thoughts on Tarxien’s performance were reflected in his bold decision to introduce Steve Sadowski and Gianluca Calabretta six minutes into the second half.

This double substitution at least altered the flow of the contest.

In fact, Mintoff kept Rabat’s heads above water when just after the hour mark, he produced an excellent one-handed save to palm away Daniel Mariano Bueno’s point-blank effort after Justin Grioli’s right-wing corner had sparked a goalmouth scramble.

Tarxien now drove forward with more verve. Former Ħamrun winger Calabretta unsettled the Rabat defence with a bursting run on the left but his attempted lob flew wide.

After 78 minutes, Bueno had another chance to put their opponents to the sword but Mintoff distinguished himself again with a timely intervention to block the striker’s effort.

The final minutes of the match saw both teams running out of steam as Tarxien’s interest was more focused on preserving the solitary goal than trying to score more.

Tarxien Rainbows
D. Cassar-5.5, C. Mamo-5.5 (51 S. Sadowski-5), M. Caruana-5, M. Lopes Silva-7, A. Agius-6, J. Grioli-5.5, Leandro-5.5 (82 D. Fenech), R. Sammut-5, M. Tanti-5 (51 G. Calabretta-4), D.M. Bueno-5.5, B. Timotic-7.

Rabat Ajax
S. Mintoff-7, I. Carapic-5, J. Caruana-5, J. Felice-5 (75 C. Vella), J. Armaro Negrin-5, M. Fuster-5.5, D. Falzon-5.5, C. Brincat-5, D. Carrillo Pendas-5.5, D. Azzopardi-5, C. Gauci-5.

Referee: Paul Caruana.

Yellow cards: Sammut; Vella.

BOV player of the match: Marco Lopes Silva (Tarxien Rainbows).

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