Lateef Elford-Alliyu (left) in a tangle with Rabat’s Joseph Caruana.Valletta 6
Nafti 24; Elford-Alliyu 29; Briffa 49; Agius 57; Mifsud Triganza 62, 69;
Rabat Ajax 1
Micallef 43 pen
Fears of their costly slip-ups to Rabat last season will have gripped Valletta when, late in the first half, the Magpies halved the deficit from a penalty.
That goal had the potential to breathe life into a lop-sided game but this never materialised as the Citizens put their dismal opponents to the sword with a devastating second-half display.
While a missed penalty by Lateef Elford-Alliyu had typified Valletta’s struggles to translate their first-half superiority into goals, the second period was a totally different story as the title hopefuls swarmed forward with panache.
Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, on for the injured Elford-Alliyu late in the first half, lived up to his tag as a super sub after scoring a quick brace as Valletta kept up their pursuit of leaders Birkirkara.
Mark Miller continued to rotate his two goalkeepers as Yenz Cini was restored to the starting formation at the expense of Pietro Marino.
Elford-Alliyu made his first league start, replacing the injured Denni. Also earning a recall to Valletta’s initial XI was Aziz Corr Nyang who was preferred to Ian Zammit.
Miller, now under increased scru-tiny amid reports that Valletta have added two Dutch coaches to their technical team, chose a 4-2-3-1 strategy with Elford-Alliyu stationed in front of the attacking midfield trio of Nyang and Hamza Barry and Abdelkarim Nafti on the left.
Rabat coach Steve D’Amato was boosted by the return of goalkeeper Pavle Velimirovic who missed the 6-2 defeat to Tarxien due to suspension. Soran Oproiescu deputised for the injuried Daniel Pelaez while Patrick Borg replaced Jonathan Bajada.
D’Amato stuck with 4-2-3-1 with Ryan Micallef deployed as lone striker.
Only 23 seconds from the initial whistle had elapsed when Diego Carrillo Pendas made good progress on the right before squaring the ball to Malcolm Licari whose piledriver crashed against the crossbar.
Valletta responded with a central shot from Edmund Agius that was blocked by Velimirovic.
Thirteen minutes into the game, Valletta were awarded a penalty after the referee spotted an infringement inside the Rabat box following a Barry cross.
The decision brought protests from the Rabat players but their frustration gave way to relief when Velimirovic parried Elford-Alliyu’s spot-kick.
But, Valletta broke the stalemate on 24 minutes. Shaun Bajada, making headway on the left, passed to Nafti whose dipping shot took a deflection as it soared above Veli-mirovic and into the far corner.
The Citizens doubled their lead on 29 minutes. Nafti’s set-piece cross was met by Elford-Alliyu whose header ricocheted off the crossbar and Velimirovic before landing into the net.
The game descended into a soporific affair but, three minutes from half-time, Rabat gained a glimmer of hope. They were awarded a penalty after Valletta defender Jonathan Caruana was deemed to have pulled Borg inside the box. Ryan Micallef made no mistake from the spot.
Any optimism the Magpies might have derived from Micallef’s goal all but vanished four minutes into the second half as Valletta restored their two-goal advantage. Their goal owed to a glaring mistake by Velimirovic whose hasty clearance dropped to Roderick Briffa who promptly lobbed the ball into the net.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Valletta added a fourth goal. It came from Agius who pounced on a short clearance before arrowing his shot past Velimirovic.
Valletta turned the screw. Nafti powered clear on the left before crossing for Nyang who scuffed his shot over the bar.
The Citizens didn’t have to wait long for their fifth goal. Two minutes past the hour, Briffa’s quickly-taken free-kick caught Rabat unawares as Nafti strode into the box unimpeded before crossing for Mifsud Triganza who tapped home at the far post.
The goalfest continued.
With 22 minutes remaining, Valletta went 6-1 up. Bajada, rising to connect with a cross from the right, deftly flicked the ball to Mifsud Triganza who hammered home for his second goal in seven minutes.
Valletta came close to a seventh goal but Llywelyn Cremona, a second-half substitute, failed to beat Velimirovic from point blank after another accurate cross from Nafti.
Nine minutes from time, Briffa’s cross-shot grazed the crossbar after taking a deflection.
From the corner, the ball dropped to Cremona but his effort was pawed away by Velimirovic.
Valletta
Y. Cini-6, J. Caruana-6, S. Borg-6, R. Fenech-6.5, E. Agius-6.5 (70 I. Azzopardi-6), R. Briffa-7, H. Barry-6 (63 L. Cremona-6), A.C. Nyang-6, S. Bajada-6.5, L. Elford-Alliyu-6 (40 J.P. Mifsud Triganza-6.5), A. Nafti-7.5.
Rabat Ajax
P. Velimirovic-5.5, S. Gauci-4 (83 Z. Tanti), D. Azzopardi-4, D. Falzon-4, I. Carapic-4, P. Borg-4, D. Carrillo Pendas-5, J. Caruana-4, R. Micallef-5, S. Oproiescu-4, M. Licari-5.5 (60 J. Bajada-4).
Referee: Glenn Tonna.
Yellow cards: Fenech; Briffa; Falzon; Gauci.
Missed penalty: Elford-Alliyu (V) 13.
BOV player of the match: Abdelkarim Nafti (Valletta).