BoV Premier League highlights

Valletta are breathing a little easier. Squaring up to rivals Birkirkara following a long pause from league football, the Citizens ended a two-match winless run after edging the Stripes 1-0.

Defender Josef Mifsud hit the winning goal inside the opening 17 minutes with a far-post header from a Stefan Giglio cross. Birkirkara rallied in the second half but for all their possession, they could not find a way past the stout Valletta defence.

Saturday's was Valletta's first win against a top side this season and their first in three matches after Paul Zammit's men had lost 2-1 to Sliema and draw 0-0 with Hamrun in their previous two league outings.

Pietà Hotspurs stole the show on Sunday. Given little chance of gaining something from their clash with Sliema, the Hotspurs upset the formbook when defeating the title hopefuls 1-0.

As in Valletta's win over Birkirkara, Pietà's winning strike came from a defender, Bulgarian Peycho Deliminkov sneaking in to flick the ball past Murphy Akanji eight minutes into the second half.

Pietà's win, their second over a more-quoted opponent after they had beaten Birkirkara 2-1, enabled them to join a quartet of teams on the 12-point mark as the race for top-six places gets more complicated.

Leaders Floriana needed an 81st-minute goal from substitute Ryan Darmanin to avoid defeat against Hamrun Spartans.

The Spartans had Floriana on the backfoot for long stretches and looked on course to take the three points after Alfred Effiong headed them in front midway into the first half. However, they paid the price for squandering a hatful of scoring chances.

The basement clash between Msida St Joseph and Mqabba produced a goal feast. The Saints had the last laugh in a thrilling match after toppling Mqabba 4-3.

Brazilian Pedro Dos Santos Calcado, who was making his debut for Msida along with fellow countryman Gilberto Dos Santos, scored a brace but ruined his performance with a late red card.

Cameroon striker Priso Doding and Patrick Borg were the other scorers for Msida while Mqabba's goals came from Claudio Calleja, Marcelo Pereira and Italo Nogueira.

Premier League statistics

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

Floriana: C. Caruana 3, Mifsud 3, Darmanin 3; 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, Effiong. Red cards: Ryan Fenech (vs Pietà); Timotic (vs Birkirkara).

Hibernians: Scerri 5; Cohen 3 (1 pen.); Alcorse 2; Doffo; Agius. Red card: Failla (vs Floriana).

Marsaxlokk: Frendo 2, Gomes 2; Sammut, Pullicino, Da Silva, Licari, Camenzuli, Templeman, Barbara. Missed penalty: Gomes (vs Sliema).

Mqabba: Pereira 6 (1 pen.); Gatt Baldacchino, Silva pen, Calleja, Nogueira. Red card: Pereira (vs Birkirkara).

Msida: Doding 2 (1 pen), Dos Santos Calcado 2; Baldacchino, Ogbonna, Magri, Borg. Red cards: A. Farrugia (vs Birkirkara), Brincat (vs Hibs), Dos Santos Calcado (vs Mqabba). Missed penalty: Doding (vs Hibs).

Pietà: Herrera 4; Deanov 3; Kondev 2 pens, Deliminkov 2; Galabov, Goodlip, Refalo. Red card: Aquilina (vs Valletta). Missed penalties: Kondev (vs Msida), Herrera (vs Hibs).

Sliema: Barbara 5 (1 penalty); Madzar 3; Said 2; Milovanovic, Briffa, Muscat, Bajada, Woods.

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

Next Fixtures

National Stadium - Saturday, Dec. 1
Birkirkara vs Floriana 2 p.m.
Valletta vs Marsaxlokk 4 p.m.

V. Tedesco Stadium - Sunday, Dec. 2
Hamrun vs Hibernians 12.45 p.m.
Msida vs Sliema. 2.45 p.m.