BoV Premier League higlights

Early days these may be but Floriana already appear to have made a significant step towards securing a berth in the Championship Pool.

The Greens maintained their strong start to the season with a 2-0 victory over Msida St Joseph that lifted them back to the top of the standings with 16 points from seven matches.

Mauro Brincat and Serbian defender Darko Krsteski struck two excellent free-kicks to hand Floriana their fifth victory.

Floriana would have won by a bigger margin had Adrian Mifsud's rising shot from the penalty spot not rebounded off the crossbar in the first half.

While Floriana have had plenty cause to be cheerful so far this season, not so can be said of their bitter rivals Valletta.

The Citizens, considered among the leading favourites for the title after signing a host of players in the summer, suffered their second defeat in six matches after going down 2-1 to Sliema Wanderers.

The Blues, themselves in need of victory to make up for the humiliating defeat to Mqabba, eased the pressure on them and their coach Ray Farrugia with second-half goals from Brian Said and Aleksandar Madzar.

Argentine striker Sebastian Monesterolo pulled one back for Valletta deep into stoppage time.

Birkirkara have slipped four points behind leaders Floriana after gaining only a point from their match with Hamrun Spartans.

Goals from Shaun Bajada and Emil Yantchev gave Birkirkara a 2-1 half-time lead after Gaetan Spiteri had opened the scoring for the Spartans. Ryan Fenech fired home a 65th-minute equaliser for Hamrun who held on for a point despite playing out the last 22 minutes of the game with 10 men after Bratislav Timotic was sent off for two yellow cards.

Champions Marsaxlokk joined Sliema in second place on 13 points after a 1-0 win over Mqabba.

Substitute Mark Barbara produced the winner for Brian Talbot's team, poking the ball home from close range with only four minutes of the game remaining.

The other match in the last Premier League programme before a two-week break for international football, saw Hibs recording only their second win in seven matches after they beat Pietà 2-0.

Strikers Julio Alcorse and Terence Scerri got the goals for Hibs in the first 23 minutes.

In the last 15 minutes, Hibs goalkeeper Mario Muscat prevented Pietà Hotspurs from reducing the arrears when keeping out Edward Herrera's shot from the penalty spot.

Premier League statistics

Birkirkara: Hartvig 3, M. Galea 3; Tabone, Tamboulas, Bajada, Yantchev.

Floriana: C. Caruana 3, Mifsud 3; Darmanin 2, Micallef 2, Brincat 2, Krsteski 2; M. Caruana, Bolasie, Sevasta. Red cards: M. Brincat (vs Mqabba); Krsteski (vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Mifsud (vs Msida SJ).

Hamrun Spartans: Spiteri 4; Briffa, Sultana, Mangion, Ryan Fenech. Red cards: Ryan Fenech (vs Pietà); Timotic (vs Birkirkara).

Hibs: Scerri 4; Alcorse 2; Cohen, Doffo. Red card: Failla (vs Floriana).

Marsaxlokk: Frendo 2, Gomes 2; Sammut, Pullicino, Da Silva, Licari, Camenzuli, Templeman, Barbara.

Mqabba: Pereira 4; Gatt Baldacchino, Silva pen. Red card: Pereira (vs Birkirkara).

Msida: Baldacchino, Ogbonna, Magri, Doding pen. Red card: A. Farrugia (vs Birkirkara).

Pietà: Herrera 3; Galabov, Kondev pen., Goodlip, Refalo. Red card: Aquilina (vs Valletta). Missed penalties: Kondev (vs Msida), Herrera (vs Hibs).

Sliema: Barbara 5 (1 penalty); Madzar 3; Milovanovic, Briffa, Muscat, Bajada, Woods, Said.

Valletta: Zammit 4; Monesterolo 3; Agius, Giglio pen., Mattocks, Bondin. Red cards: Zammit (vs Pietà); Mattocks (vs Mqabba). Missed penalties: Monesterolo 2 (vs Pietà).

Next Fixtures

Premier League

Saturday, Oct. 20
Mqabba vs Pietà 3 p.m.
Hamrun vs Valletta 5 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 21
Hibs vs Msida SJ. 3 p.m.
Sliema vs Marsaxlokk 5 p.m.