Rabat Ajax 2 Qormi 1

Two goals in the final eight minutes from substitutes Malcolm Licari and Yan Cauchi secured a dramatic victory for Rabat Ajax after Qormi had taken an early lead.

The win, against Jesmond Zerafa’s side who led for 82 minues of the game, saw Rabat moving up the relegation zone for the first time this year. Without a win after their 21 games, the embattled Rabat were given little or no chance to avoid the drop  this season yet two consecutive victories saw them leapfrog Melita and Ħamrun Spartans.

Rabat looked dead and buried against Relegation Pool ‘leaders’ Qormi for 82 minutes despite the Blacks had Jonathan Bondin dismissed midway through the half for a second bookable offence.

But Diego Carrillo Pendas sent a corner into the box, Licari steered it home for an unlikley equaliser. The Rabat fans looked relieved- eight minutes later they looked elated with Cauchi striking a screamer into the roof of the net.

The Ajax looked comfortable in possession but seemed little shy in making the final push at goal until Qormi surge forward on 31 minutes.

Leighton Grech made the goal with a surging past two defenders and his perfect cross gave Edison Bilboa Zarate the easiest of tap-ins.

Rabat could have felt hard done by a goal down but they could have equalised four minutes later.  They awarded a penalty when Qormi midfielder Duncan Pisani pushed Carrillo Pendas in the box. Negrin’s intial shot was pushed away by the excellent Sultana before the Spaniard put the rebound into the hands of the goalkeeper.

Rabat survived a scare early in the second half when Effiong charged clear into box before hitting a shot over the bar.

Qormi were reduced to 10 men after Bondin was dismissed for a second yellow card following a foul on Yan Cauchi.

One expected the Ajax to take the initiiative but for all their running, they were finding it  difficult to breach Qormi’s defensive lines, well-marshalled by Kris Thackray.

The Rabat coach looked to boost his team’s attacking prowess as he hauled off Gaetano Gesualdi with Malcolm Licari coming on instead.

However, within minutes, Rabat risked conceding another goal when Avila-Perez combined to set up Effiong but Mintoff kept out the Nigerian’s drive with the goalkeeper justifying his selection ahead of Azzopardi.

Yet the Rabat substitute left his mark eight minutes from time and when the former Balzan striker scored with a glancing header in the corner following Pendas Carrillo’s cross, it seemed Rabat had at least saved a point.

Then came Yan Cauchi in the dying moments, rifling the ball into the right corner and leaving the Qormi players stunned.