BoV Premier League highlights

The four teams in the Relegation Pool must wait until after their final matches this weekend to learn their fate. Of the four hopefuls, Qormi are in the strongest position to retain their status as a draw in their last game against Ħamrun Spartans would suffice to keep them in the top flight.

Qormi moved top of the Relegation Pool last weekend after a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Msida St Joseph.

Pedro Dos Santos Calcado's free-kick gave Msida a 1-0 lead after 28 minutes but Qormi overturned the deficit with goals from Alfred Effiong and Joseph Farrugia, from a penalty.

Qormi lead Ħamrun Spartans by one point after the latter drew 1-1 with Tarxien Rainbows on Saturday.

Sylvano Comvalius opened the scoring for the Spartans after 59 minutes but Denni Rocha Dos Santos equalised for the Rainbows three minutes later. Ħamrun played the last 24 minutes with 10 men after Mark Anthony Bonnici was sent off for two yellow cards.

Further up the table, the two title challengers, Hibernians and Valletta, experienced contrasting fortunes in the last round of matches.

Hibs dropped two other points after being held to a 2-2 draw by Marsaxlokk. Peter Pullicino fired Marsaxlokk ahead late in the first half but Hibs fought back to turn the tide with goals from Andrew Cohen and Christian Callejas.

However, Marsaxlokk stunned the leaders when ex-Valletta winger Chris Camilleri tied the scores at 2-2 with a perfectly-hit volley eight minutes from time.

Valletta made the most of Hibs' slip-up as they saw off Sliema Wanderers 3-0 on Monday to reduce the gap at the top to just one point with four matches left.

Paulo Massaro netted twice inside the opening 60 minutes and captain Gilbert Agius sealed the issue with a third goal nine minutes from time.

In the other Championship Pool match last weekend, Birkirkara beat Floriana 3-1.

Ron Hartvig, Trevor Cilia and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza were Birkirkara's scorers. Orosco Anonam scored a late consolation goal for Floriana.

Statistics: scorers, red cards

Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 8, Galea 7; Hartvig 5; Bajada 3, Buhagiar 3, Mallia 3, Dimitrov-Mihaylov 3; Tabone 2 (2 pens), Cilia 2; Fenech, Sokolov, Anastasi. Own goal - Caruana (vs Hibs). Red cards - Bajada (vs Marsaxlokk); Zerafa (vs Hibs); Holland (vs Msida).

Floriana: Darmanin 7, Anonam 7; M. Briffa 2, Madzar 2; Eboh, Brincat (penalty), Doffo, Caruana, Zarb. Red cards - Bugeja (vs Ħamrun); Caruana (vs Valletta); Borg (vs Birkirkara); Doffo (vs Hibs); Eboh (vs Tarxien).

Ħamrun: Comvalius 9 (1 pen.); Spiteri 6; Cucciardi 5 (1 pen.); Micallef 3; Kokavessis 2, Levnaic 2, Sultana 2 (1 pen.); Ortega (pen), Ryan Fenech. Red cards - Spiteri (vs Floriana), Spiteri (vs Msida), Spiteri (vs Floriana); Roderick Fenech (vs Marsaxlokk, vs Msida SJ); Bondin (vs Valletta); Bonnici (vs Tarxien).

Hibernians: Scerri 26 (3 pens); Cohen 8 (2 pens); Failla 7; Soares Borges 5; Farrugia 4; Camilleri 3, Caruana 3, Mbongo 3; Galabov 2, Callejas 2; Grech, Pulis. Own goals - Micallef (vs Ħamrun); Bonnici (vs Ħamrun). Red cards - Mbongo (vs Valletta), Scerri (vs Valletta), Galabov (vs Birkirkara).

Marsaxlokk: Alcorse 13 (6 pens); Pereira 10; Licari 3 (1 pen.); Cassar 2, Said 2, Pullicino 2, Camilleri 2; Mattocks, Barbara, Sammut, Kokavessis. Red cards - Camenzuli (vs Birkirkara); Said, Wellman (vs Msida).

Msida: Calcado 12 (2 pens); Aurelio 4; Da Silva 3 (1 pen); Magro, A. Farrugia, T. Farrugia, Camilleri. Red cards - Da Silva (vs Ħamrun); T. Farrugia (vs Marsaxlokk), Vella (vs Valletta), Calcado (vs Tarxien).

Qormi: Effiong 11; Chetcuti 5; Da Silva 4, Farrugia 4; Grima 2; Farrugia (pen.). Red cards - Chetcuti (vs Hibernians); Nwoko (vs Ħamrun), Fenech (vs Msida).

Sliema: Woods 7 (1 pen.); Muscat 4; Bjedov 3, Dronca 3 (1 pen.), M. Ciantar 2, Coto 2, Bajada 2; Severino, Azzopardi, Nisevic, Briffa, Turner, Mintoff. Red cards - Bjedov (vs Ħamrun), Scerri (vs Hibs); Chetcuti (vs Birkirkara).

Tarxien: Bueno 21 (2 pens); Rocha Dos Santos 3; Chircop 2, Vella Critien 2; Buttigieg, Tanti. Red cards - Carapic, Decesare (vs Qormi), Gatt Baldacchino (vs Msida).

Valletta: Priso 12 (3 pens.); G. Agius 7 (1 pen.); Zammit 6, Falzon 6; Massaro 3; Frendo 2, Pace 2; Dimech, Bondin, Tolomeotti, Monesterolo, Grioli. Red cards - Giglio (vs Msida); Priso (vs Qormi); Briffa (vs Hibs).

Next fixtures

Saturday (National Stadium): 15.00 Msida SJ vs Tarxien; 17.00 Hibernians vs Floriana.

Sunday (National Stadium): 15.00 Ħamrun Spartans vs Qormi; 17.00 Sliema Wanderers vs Marsaxlokk.

Monday (National Stadium): 19.30 Valletta vs Birkirkara.