Highlights from the Premier League matches

It was a dank afternoon at Ta' Qali on Saturday but few will remember that as 12 goals were scored in the two Premier League matches.

A ding-dong second half between Valletta and Pietà Hotspurs set the tone for a goal-laden afternoon.

After a drab first half had produced one goal, an Ivan Zammit penalty, the game between the Citizens and the Hotspurs came into life after the change of ends.

Chris Okoh levelled the scores for Pietà, Gilbert Agius quickly restored Valletta's lead before Gareth Sciberras made it 2-2 with a looping shot.

The driving rain and the frequency with which the goals were being netted made for an uncertain finale. William Borg profited from a lapse in the City defence to put the Hotspurs ahead for the first time in the match but Agius was again on the right spot to rifle home Valletta's equaliser for a definitive 3-3 outcome.

Pietà Hotspurs remain in third place on 24 points thanks to the point collected on Saturday while Valletta are sixth with 16 points.

Hibernians spurned the chance to dislodge Pietà from third place when succumbing to a 4-2 defeat to Floriana in another rollercoaster-type of encounter.

All had started so brightly for the Paolites when Andrè Schembri gave them an eighth-minute lead but Nicolò Baldacchino equalised for Floriana 10 minutes later.

Man-of-the-match Bizu put the Greens ahead when converting a penalty seven minutes from half-time but when another penalty was awarded, it was Cesar Paiber who struck Hibs' equaliser midway through the second half.

Floriana's late flourish won them the day as goals from Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Trevor Cilia gave Ziya Yildiz three vital points in their fight to secure a Championship Pool slot.

The race for top-six places intensified on Sunday when Marsaxlokk downed Hamrun Spartans 1-0 in the only match played at the Hibernians Ground.

In spite of the gulf in resources between these two clubs, David Carabott's sizzling shot seven minutes into the second half was all that separated the teams.

The game between Birkirkara, the Premier League leaders, and neighbours Balzan Youths, was postponed after the rain rendered the pitch at the Hibs Ground unfit to stage two matches in one afternoon. This game will now be played this evening at the Centenary Stadium, starting at 6.

Scorers

Balzan Youths - Zahra 4 (1 pen.); Evi Parker 3; Valenzia 2; Muscat, Arpa, Tellus, Gera, Scerri (pen.) - W. Attard (Hamrun) own goal.

Birkirkara - M. Galea 10; Calascione 7; Doda 6; Dronca 4 (2 pens.); Nwoko 3; Mallia 2; Camenzuli (pen.).

Floriana - Do Nascimento 4 (1 pen.); Baldacchino 3, Cilia 3, Mifsud Triganza 3; Da Silva 2, Holland 2, Gango-Rtsa 2; Bajada, Mattocks.

Hamrun - Brincat 2, Spiteri 2; Bajada, Sultana.

Hibernians - Scerri 5; Paiber 5 (5 pens.); Chukunyere 3, Cohen 3, Schembri 3; M. Mifsud, A. Mifsud - S. Pace (Valletta) own goal.

Marsaxlokk: Barbara 9 (3 pens.); Slavtchev 3 (1 pen.); Licari 2; Bartes, Formosa, Buhagiar, Carabott.

Msida - Nwoke 6, Aganun 6 (4 pens.); Tirchett, Sciberras.

Pietà Hotspurs - Woods 6 (2 pens.); Debono 5; Borg 3; Borg 2, Omam 2, Frendo 2, Okoh 2, Nisevic, G. Sciberras.

Sliema - Doncic 6; Brincat 3; Turner 2 (1 pen.), Veselji 2, Anonam 2, Giglio 2; Sylla, Mangion, Sammut, Bogdanovic, Said, Grima - C. Magro (Marsaxlokk) own goal.

Valletta - G. Agius 7 (1 pen.); Sacco 3, Zammit 3 (2 pens.); Forace 2, Theuma 2 (2 pens.), Tonchev 2; Penchev.

Next fixtures

Today (Centenary Stadium)
6 p.m. Birkirkara vs Balzan Y.

Friday (National Stadium)
6 p.m. Floriana vs Sliema W.
8 p.m. Valletta vs Hibernians

Sunday (V. Tedesco Stadium)
12.45 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Pietà
2.45 p.m. Msida vs Hamrun S.

Monday (Centenary Stadium)
Super Five Tournament - SFs
6 p.m. Birkirkara vs Sliema
8 p.m. Hibs vs Valletta