BoV Premier League highlights

A third defeat in four Championship Pool matches has all but ended Sliema's remote chances of winning the Premier League. Re-garded among the early favourites to capture the most coveted prize in Maltese football, Sliema yet again failed to justify their billing on Saturday when they crashed to a 2-0 defeat to Valletta.

Having seen Marsaxlokk leapfrog them at the summit after a 3-1 win over Hamrun Spartans in Saturday's early kick-off, Valletta regained top spot in a most emphatic manner as they brushed aside Sliema's challenge with a solid performance, especially in the second half.

Frank Temile was the toast of Valletta as the talented Nigerian capped an exhilarating performance with two well-taken goals. His opening goal, a close-range shot after Sliema goalkeeper Henry Bonello had parried Sebastian Monesterolo's header, was credited with changing the course of the game as it came on the verge of half-time.

Valletta's win took them two points clear of Marsaxlokk, their opponents on Sunday, and nine ahead of the stuttering Wanderers who now face a fight to claim a top-four position.

Marsaxlokk bounced back from their 2-1 upset to Birkirkara with a straightforward 3-1 victory over the Spartans. Argentine striker Julio Alcorse notched a brace for the champions, the second from a second-half penalty, but the best goal of the game came from an unlikely source, defender William Camenzuli.

The former Birkirkara player doubled Marsaxlokk's lead on 20 minutes with a searing free-kick from long distance. Diego Cucciardi scored Hamrun's consolation goal 12 minutes before the end of the opening half.

On Sunday, Birkirkara moved to within two points of second-placed Marsaxlokk with a 2-0 win over Floriana. Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza hit a brace for the Stripes who strengthened their grip on third place and extended their unbeaten start to the Championship Pool to four matches.

In the only match from the Relegation Pool last weekend, Hibernians beat Pietà Hotspurs 2-1 to move 11 points clear of the drop zone.

Goals by Andrew Cohen and Terence Scerri gave the Paolites a 2-0 lead by the 47th minute.

Although Svetlan Kondev pulled one back for Pietà from the penalty spot, Robert Gatt's men were never in danger of dropping any points from this match. In the dying stages, man-of-the-match Cohen missed a penalty for Hibs.

Premier League statistics

Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 8 (1 pen); Tabone 5 (2 pens); M. Galea 4, Sylla 4, Hartvig 4, Bajada 4; Tamboulas, Yanchev, T. Paris, Fenech, Anastasi. Own goal: Rod. Fenech (vs Hamrun). Missed penalty: Tabone (vs Floriana). Red card: Yanchev (vs Sliema Wanderers).

Floriana: Darmanin 8; Krsteski 4 (1 pen.), Micallef 4; Cilia 3, Bolasie 3, C. Caruana 3, Mifsud 3 (moved to Hibernians); Brincat 2, Cassar 2; M. Caruana, Sevasta, Levnaic. Red cards: M. Brincat (vs Mqabba); Krsteski (vs Sliema); Gauci (vs Hibs); Cassar (vs Mqabba); Bugeja (vs Marsaxlokk). Missed penalty: Mifsud (vs Msida).

Hamrun: Effiong 8; Spiteri 7; Sultana 6 (2 pens); Rod. Fenech 2, Ryan Fenech 2, Mangion 2, Cucciardi 2; Briffa, Timotic. Own goals: Conceicao (vs Marsaxlokk); Scicluna (vs Valletta). Red cards: Ryan Fenech (vs Pietà); Timotic (vs Birkirkara); Briffa (vs Pietà), Rod. Fenech (vs Hibs; vs Floriana).

Hibernians: Scerri 8; Cohen 6 (1 pen.); Doffo 2, Mifsud 2, Agius 2, Alcorse 2 (moved to Marsaxlokk); Edafe, Chukunyere, Failla, Camilleri. Own goal: Said (vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Cohen (vs Pietà). Red cards: Failla (vs Floriana), Edafe (vs Floriana; vs Marsaxlokk).

Marsaxlokk: Alcorse 8 (1 pen.); Licari 7 (1 pen.); Barbara 6; Frendo 5; Madzar 4, Sammut 4 (1 pen.); Gomes 2, Pace 2, Camenzuli 2; Pullicino, Da Silva, Templeman. Own goals: Borg (vs Msida); Agius (vs Floriana). Missed penalty: Gomes (vs Sliema). Red cards: Conceicao (vs Pietà); Alcorse (vs Sliema); Frendo (vs Valletta).

Mqabba: Pereira 11 (3 pens); Zarb 2, Silva 2 (2 pens); Gatt Baldacchino, Calleja, Nogueira, Bonnici. Red cards: Pereira (vs Birkirkara); M. Psaila (vs Birkirkara); P. Psaila (vs Pietà).

Msida SJ: Doding 8 (2 pens); Pedrinho 7; A. Farrugia 4, T. Farrugia 4; Borg 2; Baldacchino, Ogbonna, Magri, Gilberto dos Santos (pen). Red cards: A. Farrugia (vs Birkirkara); Brincat (vs Hibs); Pedrinho (vs Mqabba); Spiteri (vs Marsaxlokk); Doding, Cachia, Grima (all vs Sliema); Bartolo (vs Valletta), T. Farrugia (vs Mqabba). Missed penalties: Doding (vs Hibs); Pedrinho (vs Marsaxlokk).

Pietà Hotspurs: Herrera 5, Deanov 5, Kondev 5 (4 pens); Q. Refalo 2, Deliminkov 2; Galabov, Goodlip, Pulo. Red cards: Aquilina (vs Valletta); Kondev (vs Marsaxlokk); Montfort (vs Msida); Q. Refalo (vs Hamrun). Missed penalties: Kondev (vs Msida), Herrera (vs Hibs).

Sliema: Woods 8 (3 pens); Barbara 6 (1 pen.); Madzar 4 (moved to Marsaxlokk), Said 3; Anonam 2, Muscat 2, Briffa 2, Bartolo 2, Bajada 2; Milovanovic, Da Silva, Turner. Own goals: Bonnici (vs Mqabba); Sciberras (vs Pietà). Red cards: Bajada (vs Hamrun); Pace (vs Birkirkara); Da Silva (vs Marsaxlokk); Woods (vs Hamrun). Missed penalties: Woods (vs Birkirkara 2); Barbara (vs Floriana).

Valletta: Monesterolo 16 (3 pens); Zammit 8, Temile 8; Giglio 3 (1 pen.); Camilleri 2, Scicluna 2, Agius 2, Backhaus 2, Mifsud 2; Mattocks, Bondin. Own goal: Mallia (vs Birkirkara). Red cards: Zammit (vs Pietà); Mattocks (vs Mqabba); Monesterolo (vs Floriana); Bezzina (vs Hibs). Missed penalties: Monesterolo 2 (vs Pietà).

Fixtures

Saturday (National Stadium)
3 p.m. Birkirkara vs Hamrun
5 p.m. Sliema vs Floriana

Sunday (National Stadium)
3 p.m. Hibernians vs Mqabba
5 p.m. Valletta vs Marsaxlokk