Rabat Ajax        1
Mqabba             4

Mqabba boosted their hopes of winning promotion after brushing aside Rabat Ajax yesterday.

The Reds have now joined Senglea Athletic and Qormi on the

35-point mark, four behind leaders Naxxar but one adrift of second-placed Vittoriosa Stars.

Mqabba took just four minutes to take the lead. Karl Cutajar picked Paul Chimezie who drilled the ball into the net from a close angle.

Rabat looked rattled and Mqabba made it 2-0 six minutes later, Gaetano Gesualdi heading home from a Cutajar free-kick.

The Magpies finally threatened on 22 minutes but Adam Smeir’s inswinger finished over.

Mqabba added a third goal on 37 minutes.

Chimezie again made all the damage when he controlled the ball just outside the area, turned past Dylan Falzon before sliding the ball past Sean Mintoff.

The game was as good as over three minutes into the second half when Gesualdi headed home from another Cutajar set-piece.

Rabat scored a consolation goal on 51 minutes when Ethan Jay Goodman hit the target directly from a corner.

The Magpies tried to step up the pressure and on 56 minutes Falzon was unlucky to see his effort coming of the upright.

But Mqabba soon regained control and managed to fend off Rabat’s efforts to hold on to a comfortable win.

Rabat: S. Mintoff (A. Zammit), J. Caruana, S. Gauci, A. Smeir, D. Falzon, G. Bugeja (D. Borg), K. Muscat, E.J. Goodman, R. Micallef (T. Ousman), A. Azzopardi, D. Azzopardi.

Mqabba: J. Debono, G. Gesualdi, A. Mello da Silva, K. Cutajar (K. Azzopardi), L. Vella Critien (J.R. Vella), B. Muscat, M. Borg, P. Chimezie (J. Nwoba), L. Micallef, G. Adamovic, L. Casha.

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.

Best Player: Karl Cutajar (Mqabba).