Mosta 2 (Mitev 26, Obiefule 39) Rabat Ajax 0
Mosta returned to winning ways thanks to first-half goals from Danail Mitev and Obinna Obiefule.
It was a deserved victory for Steve D'Amato's side, who should have won more convincingly.
Rabat Ajax were dealt an unexpected blow inside the first two minutes when Adam Smeir picked up what looked like a serious injury after colliding with Alex Cini. The nippy striker was carried off on a stretcher and into the waiting ambulance that took him to hospital.
The Magpies mustered a strong reaction after that difficult start to the match and Justin Haber, the Mosta goalkeeper, did well to push Manuel Moral Fuster's effort away on the quarter-of-the-hour mark.
It was all Rabat in the opening stages but Mosta struck in the 26th minute. Mosta won a free-kick on the right-flank, Danail Mitev looked up and saw Jonathan Azzopardi wandering off his line as he floated a 30-metre effort in under the bar and off Azzopardi's vainly outstretched hand. It was a wicked ball to deal with, but Azzopardi was surely out of position.
Midway through first half, Obiefule accelerated into the box from theleft, outsmarted his marker Clive Brincat and flicked the ball pastJonathan Azzopardi but David Azzopardi was on hand to hook the balloff the line.
In the 39th minute, Mosta doubled their lead.
Their second goal is again owed as much to Mosta's deadly efficiency as to another costly error by the Rabat rearguard. Zongo's cross found Obiefule who rose above Caruana to head the ball in, as Jonathan Azzopardi came out for the ball but was left stranded.
Just before half-time, Astrauskas lost his balance in the Mosta boxafter a challenge with Luke Dimech but he still succeeded to roll the ball into the path of Clifford Gauci who dragged his effort wide from a few metres out.
Mosta could have increased their lead after the change of ends butZongo's grounder hit the foot of the post after a well-worked three-man move that involved also Obiefule and Mitev. Rabat's toils to haul themselves into contention were undone as Mosta kept their opponents at arm's length.