BOV Premier League highlights

Valletta were the biggest achievers in the last Premier League programme before the Christmas break as the champions bridged the gap on leaders Hibernians to just two points following a 1-0 win over Marsaxlokk.

Title-chasers Birkirkara and Sliema Wanderers lost valuable points when the Stripes could only manage a 2-2 draw against Msida St Joseph while the Blues crashed to a 3-0 defeat to old rivals Floriana.

Unsurprisingly, much of the attention last Saturday was on new Marsaxlokk coach Patrick Curmi who was making his debut for the Southerners after quitting Msida.

However, it was a former Marsaxlokk player, Cleaven Frendo, who stole the limelight when he tucked home the winner on the stroke of half-time.

The goal was Frendo's first for Valletta after recovering from a series of niggling injuries that had hampered his start to the season.

Birkirkara failed to keep the pace at the top but the outcome of the match against Msida should still satisfy coach John Buttigieg who saw his team battling at a par with their opponents despite playing the entire second half with 10 men following the dismissal of Jonathan Holland just before the break.

Pedro Calcado, who heads for a trial in Spain next month, scored the goals for Msida, the second one from a penalty to pull his team level with seven minutes to go.

Veteran Michael Galea opened the score for Birkirkara and striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza had restored his team's lead midway through the second half.

Floriana took to Sunday's match against Sliema knowing that it was the last match for coach Zoran Popovic and goalkeeper Dejan Maksic.

Ryan Darmanin made sure the Serbian duo left the island on a good note after hitting a hat-trick past the hapless Wanderers who are misfiring badly lately, particularly in attack.

Qormi finally ended their five-match losing streak after they edged fellow strugglers Tarxien Rainbows 1-0.

The inspirational Joseph Chetcuti scored the winner for Qormi who moved out of the drop zone after leapfrogging Hamrun Spartans in the standings.

Premier League statistics

Scorers, red cards

Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 4, Galea 4; Buhagiar 3, Mallia 3; Tabone 2 (2 pens); Bajada, Fenech, Hartvig. Red cards - Bajada (vs Marsaxlokk); Zerafa (vs Hibs); Holland (vs Msida).

Floriana: Darmanin 5; Anonam 4; M. Briffa 2, Madzar 2; Brincat (penalty), Doffo, Caruana. Red cards - Bugeja (vs Hamrun); Caruana (vs Valletta); Borg (vs Birkirkara).

Hamrun: Cucciardi 4 (1 pen.); Spiteri 2, Kokavessis 2, Micallef 2; Ortega (penalty), Levnaic. Red cards - Spiteri (vs Floriana), Spiteri (vs Msida), Spiteri (vs Floriana).

Hibernians: Scerri 10 (1 pen.); Failla 5; Cohen 4 (2 pens); Galabov 2, J. Caruana 2, Farrugia 2, Mbongo 2; Grech, Callejas, Pulis. Own goals - Micallef (vs Hamrun); Bonnici (vs Hamrun). Red card - Mbongo (vs Valletta).

Marsaxlokk: Alcorse 5 (3 pens); Pereira 3; Licari 2 (1 pen), Said, Mattocks, Barbara, Cassar. Red cards - Camenzuli (vs Birkirkara); Said, Wellman (vs Msida SJ).

Msida: Calcado 9 (2 pens); Aurelio 4; Magro, T. Farrugia, Da Silva, Camilleri. Red cards - Da Silva (vs Hamrun); T. Farrugia (vs Marsaxlokk).

Qormi: Effiong 4; Da Silva 3; Chetcuti 2; Farrugia, Grima. Red cards - Chetcuti (vs Hibernians); Nwoko (vs Hamrun).

Sliema: Woods 5 (1 pen.); Bjedov 3; Bajada 2, Muscat 2; Severino, Azzopardi, Nisevic, Briffa. Red card - Bjedov (vs Hamrun).

Tarxien: Bueno 9 (1 penalty); Chircop. Red cards - Carapic, Decesare (vs Qormi).

Valletta: Priso 7 (3 pens.); Zammit 3, G. Agius 3; Falzon 2; Dimech, Bondin, Frendo, Tolomeotti.