Qormi’s Alfred Effiong (left) charging his way past Rabat Ajax.

Qormi 3
Jorginho 5; Caruana 15; Bondin 17;
Rabat Ajax 1
Carrillo Pendas 54;

This was a stroll for Qormi.

Facing a demoralised and depleted Rabat team whose fate had been sealed the previous weekend, Qormi exploited their opponents’ fragile confidence, producing an early three-goal blitz to secure three valuable points.

The first two meetings between these two sides had finished goalless but their response to their early-season travails has been starkly different. While Qormi have bolstered their ranks to improve their chances of evading the drop, Rabat were unable to halt their decline.

In Jorginho, Alfred Effiong and Leighton Grech, Qormi have a fearsome strikeforce and the trio were in evidence as Karel Zeman’s men ran rings around their opponents and only the woodwork denied them a more emphatic victory.

Rabat were again ravaged by injuries as Dylan Falzon, Ryan Micallef, Daniel Pelaez, Adam Smeir and Aidan Azzopardi all failed to recover while Joseph Caruana was serving a one-match ban.

Hardly 35 seconds from the start of the game had elapsed when Qormi almost took the lead. Jonathan Bondin released Jorginho whose shot was pushed away by Rabat keeper Pavle Velimirovic.

Jorginho left an instant mark on the game as, in the fifth minute, he guided a grounder past Velimirovic after his header had cannoned off the crossbar.

It was all Qormi. Velimirovic denied Effiong who had been set up by Bondin. From the corner, Grech flicked the ball to Roderick Bajada who dragged in a cross towards the six-yard box where Jorginho jumped highest but his header was stopped by the keeper.

A second goal was on the cards and it duly came on 15 minutes when Triston Caruana, Qormi’s holding midfielder, advanced be-fore mustering a superb shot that left Velimirovic rooted to his spot.

Two soon became three. Rabat were again guilty of shambolic defending as Bajada was given time and space to weave his way into the box before rolling the ball for Bondin who hammered home.

With the game already won and Rabat unable to stage a reaction, Qormi switched to cruise control. They might have increased their lead but Effiong’s shot was deflected past the post on 35 minutes.

Bondin then missed a sitter, miscuing his shot from a good position after receiving from Grech. Veli-mirovic saved from Effiong who was teed up by defender Giorgio Gianola.

Five minutes into the second half, Effiong was unlucky not to put his name on the scoresheet as his swerving effort, after a surging run by Duncan Pisani, hit the post.

Rabat reduced the arrears on 54 minutes. Latching on to a long ball from midfield, Carrillo Pendas shrugged off the hesitant Gianola and poked the ball past Matthew Farrugia.

Effiong might have restored Qormi’s three-goal lead but fired wide from point blank after being freed by substitute Lucas Cantoro. Velimirovic then stopped Grech’s close-range effort.

On 66 minutes, the Rabat keeper was prominent again with a fine save from Jorginho’s drive.

Although Rabat improved after the break, Qormi continued to create the better chances. Jorginho curled his shot over the bar 15 minutes from time.

Caruana then unleashed another brilliant shot but Velimirovic did well to palm the ball away for a corner. The woodwork again came to Rabat’s rescue as Cantoro’s strike hit the base of the post.

With nine minutes remaining, Effiong sent Grech through and the Qormi winger turned this way and that to evade Velimirovic but his effort came off the upright.

For the umpteenth time, Qormi were foiled by the goal frame as Cantoro’s free-kick rattled the crossbar.

Qormi
M. Farrugia-5, D. Pisani-7, G. Gianola-6, O. Bugeja-6, E. Vella-6.5 (46 L. Cantoro-6.5), T. Caruana-6.5, J. Bondin-6, R. Bajada-6.5, L. Grech-7 (90 M. Bance), A. Effiong-6.5 (90 L. Gabrieli), Jorginho-7.

Rabat Ajax
P. Velimirovic-6.5, S. Gauci-5.5, D. Azzo-pardi-4, I. Carapic-5.5, Z. Tanti-5.5, S. Oproiescu-4, J. Bajada-4, W. Borg-5, M. Licari-4, C. Vella-4 (46 P. Borg-5), D. Carrillo Pendas-6.5.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.

BOV player of the match: Jorginho (Qormi).