BoV Premier League highlights

Four points to the good at the top with only five games left, Valletta are now within sight of their first Premier League title in seven years. Last Sunday, the Citizens edged out champions and fellow title rivals Marsaxlokk 2-1 in an absorbing encounter.

It was a match in which Valletta's never-say-die attitude shone through as they hit back from a goal down and a tetchy period when Marsaxlokk threatened to kill the game, the Whites scoring twice in nine minutes late in the game to turn the result in their favour.

After Peter Pullicino had given Marsaxlokk a 55th-minute lead, the Blues were left to rue a series of missed chances when Stefan Giglio, on as a second-half substitute for Dyson Falzon, struck after receiving a delightful pass from captain Gilbert Agius. With seven minutes of the game remaining, Valletta nosed ahead when Sebastian Monesterolo converted a penalty, given for Renato Conceicao's shoving act on Steve Bezzina.

More drama followed when, two minutes from time, Marsaxlokk were awarded a penalty after Bezzina's jump to head the ball away from Pullicino was judged illegal by referee Alan Mario Sant.

From the penalty spot, Malcolm Licari clipped his shot onto the crossbar and with that, Marsaxlokk's hopes of rescuing a point vanished into thin air. The result dropped the champions into third place, one point behind Birkirkara who maintained their title hopes with a 4-0 victory over Hamrun Spartans on Saturday.

Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza hit a second-half hat-trick for the resurgent Stripes who have collected 13 points from a maximum of 15 in the first round of the Championship Pool.

Birkirkara captain Michael Galea marked his return from injury with a late goal after he had replaced Davy-Amed Sylla. Hamrun finished the game with 10 men after defender Roderick Fenech was sent off for a second yellow card nine minutes from time.

Floriana gained their first win in the Championship Pool after beating Old Firm rivals Sliema Wanderers 2-0.

Ryan Darmanin fired Floriana ahead with a 41st minute penalty and an own goal by Jeffrey Chetcuti secured the points for the Greens who heaped further misery on the Wanderers whose advantage over their old adversaries has now been narrowed to just one point.

In the only match from the Relegation Pool, Hibernians made sure of staying in the Premier League with three matches to spare after a 4-2 win over basement team Mqabba.

Aaron Xuereb and Terence Scerri were on the mark from the penalty spot for Hibs and both found the net again in the second half after Marcelo Pereira and Martin Briffa had brought Mqabba back on level terms.

Statistics

Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 11 (1 pen); Tabone 5 (2 pens), M. Galea 5; 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 9 (1 pen); 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. Own goal: Chetcuti (vs Sliema). 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; vs Birkirkara).

Hibernians: Scerri 10 (1 pen); Cohen 6 (1 pen.); Doffo 2, Mifsud 2, Agius 2, Xuereb 2 (1 pen); 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 2; Da Silva, Templeman. Own goals: Borg (vs Msida); Agius (vs Floriana). Missed penalties: Gomes (vs Sliema); Licari (vs Valletta). Red cards: Conceicao (vs Pietà); Alcorse (vs Sliema); Frendo (vs Valletta).

Mqabba: Pereira 12 (3 pens); Zarb 2, Silva 2 (2 pens); Gatt Baldacchino, Calleja, Nogueira, Bonnici, Briffa. 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 17 (4 pens); Zammit 8, Temile 8; Giglio 4 (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).

FA Trophy - QFs

Saturday (National Stadium)
3 p.m. Hamrun vs Dingli
5 p.m. Hibs vs Valletta

Sunday (National Stadium)
3 p.m. Floriana vs Sliema
5 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Birkirkara