Melita 1 Rabat Ajax 4
Rabat Ajax are now a win away ( if Ħamrun beat Floriana on Sunday) from safeguarding their top-flight status after finally breaking their jinx against now-relegated Melita.
The Ajax served notice of their intent to attack, when inside the opening 10 minutes, Joseph Caruana’s effort did not find any takers as it flashed across the goal. Four minutes later, Negrin unleashed a dipping shot that sailed just over the bar.
But their best chance fell to the Spaniard after 25 minutes when Pendas’s surge into the box was halted by the sliding Alhinho. Negrin’s shot from the ensuing penalty but his tame shot was touched away by Schranz. Unperturbed by Negrin’s penalty miss, the Ajax kept pressing for the opener.
On the half hour mark, Negrin’s terrific effort finished just off the post. Moments later, Pendas’s low drive was pushed away by the diving Schranz. But Melita’s reprieve was temporary as Ivan Tufegzic got a slight touch on Pendas’s heel to block his run into the box, prompting Adrian Azzopardi to order a penalty, the second in the game for Rabat.
Few eyebrows were raised when Negrin went to assume responsibility of the second spot-kick but this time, the Spaniard sent Schranz the wrong way.
Patxi Salinas’s decision to bring in Antoine Attard at the expense of the subdued Alan Borg Olivier at half-time immediately bore fruit and with virtually his first touch of the ball, he crossed for Julian Galea who gleefully blasted a shot that battered the underside of the bar and flew into the net.
Capping an amazing start to the second half, Melita’s Luke Micallef’s drive was deflected by Patrick Borg after 58 minutes.
Past the hour mark, the pendulum swung once more in favour of Rabat when fastening on to a long pass from midfield, Pendas outpaced the Melita defenders but his swerving shot missed the target.
The scoreboard marked 68 minutes gone when George Gribbon sent Pendas crashing following a serious venture towards the Melita area. The Spaniard picked himself up to exact a delightful strike that beat the Melita wall and dropped into the top corner of the net.
In the 75th minute, Rabat failed to apply the killer blow when Azzopardi squared for Fuster but Schranz stuck out his foot to save the Spanish midfielder’s effort. The ball was moved quickly up front to Daniel Cabanillas who tested the Rabat custodian to the limit but the goalkeeper stretched out his hands to claw the ball away.
The ensuing corner caused confusion inside the box before Joseph Caruana scrambled the ball away.
But the verdict was beyond redemption after 85 minutes when Pendas surged down the left flank, breezed past Gribbon into the penalty before whipping in a delightful ball into the right corner.
A minute later, Rabat were reduced to 10 men when Fuster received the marching orders for unorthodox tackle on Luke Sammut.
Yet, two minutes later, Malcolm Licari who had just replaced the profligate Negrin made an instant impact on the game when he lifted the Rabat crowd with a wonderful run solo run on the left flank before scoring with a fine finish.