BoV Premier League highlights

Valletta have seized the initiative in the title race after moving one point ahead of Hibs with only two matches remaining.

The champions went top of the league for the first time in several months after cruising to a 2-0 win over rivals Floriana last weekend but Hibs were widely expected to regain sole leadership by seeing off Sliema Wanderers on Monday night.

Pre-match predictions were not met, however, as Sliema produced a resolute performance to hold the Paolites to a goalless stalemate in an incident-strewn encounter.

Hibs striker Terrence Scerri missed a penalty midway through the first half but in no time, Mark Miller's team appeared to have received another boost after Sliema winger John Mintoff was dismissed for two bookings.

Both sides created scoring chances but the stalemate prevailed, largely thanks to the brilliant display of Sliema goalkeeper Simon Agius who thwarted Hibs time and again.

The point gained was not enough for Hibs to dislodge Valletta who have a slim but potentially significant one-point lead.

On Saturday, Valletta despatched Floriana's challenge with first-half goals by Doding Priso and Luke Dimech.

Thanks to their success in the derby and Hibs' failure to beat Sliema, the Citizens are now sure of staying in the title hunt until their final-day clash with the Paolites, irrespective of the result of their match against Marsaxlokk on Saturday.

Marsaxlokk looked firmly on course for victory last weekend as Julio Alcorse's brace gave them a 2-0 lead inside the opening hour but two quick goals earned the erstwhile inept Birkirkara a share of the spoils. Their goals came from George Mallia and Joseph Zerafa.

On Friday night, Tarxien Rainbows salvaged their Premier League status after beating Msida St Joseph on penalties in a keenly-contested relegation decider at the Hibs Ground.

Pedro Calcado put Msida ahead after 29 minutes but Tarxien equalised four minutes later when Everson Alan de Lima's close-range flick took a deflection off Tyrone Farrugia.

With the score tied at 1-1 after extra-time, penalties were needed to decide the issue. Tarxien prevailed 5-4 with Dino Cachia missing the decisive penalty for Msida.

Statistics: scorers, red cards

Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 8; Galea 7; Hartvig 5; Dimitrov-Mihaylov 4, Mallia 4; Bajada 3, Buhagiar 3; Tabone 2 (2 pens), Cilia 2; Fenech, Sokolov, Anastasi, Zerafa. 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); Bondin (vs Valletta), Bonnici (vs Tarxien).

Hibernians: Scerri 26 (3 pens); Cohen 8 (2 pens); Failla 7; Soares Borges 6; Farrugia 4; Camilleri 3, Caruana 3, Mbongo 3; Galabov 2, Callejas 2; Grech, Pulis, Herrera. Own goals - Micallef (vs Ħamrun); Bonnici (vs Ħamrun). Red cards - Mbongo (vs Valletta), Scerri (vs Valletta), Galabov (vs Birkirkara).

Marsaxlokk: Alcorse 16 (6 pens); Pereira 10; Licari 3 (1 pen.); Cassar 2, Said 2, Pullicino 2, Camilleri 2; Mattocks, Barbara, Sammut, Kokavessis. Own goals - Dronca, Muscat (vs Sliema). Red cards - Camenzuli (vs Birkirkara); Said, Wellman (vs Msida).

Msida: Calcado 14 (2 pens); Aurelio 4; Da Silva 3 (1 pen); T. Farrugia 2; Magro, A. Farrugia, Camilleri. Red cards - Da Silva (vs Ħamrun); T. Farrugia (vs Marsaxlokk), Vella (vs Valletta), Calcado (vs Tarxien), K. Spiteri, Camilleri (vs Tarxien), S. Vella (vs Tarxien).

Qormi: Effiong 12; Chetcuti 5; Farrugia 6 (2 pens); Da Silva 4; Grima 2. Red cards - Chetcuti (vs Hibernians); Nwoko (vs Ħamrun), Fenech (vs Msida).

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

Tarxien: Bueno 23 (2 pens); Rocha Dos Santos 3; Chircop 2, Vella Critien 2; Buttigieg, Tanti. Own goal - T. Farrugia (vs Msida). Red cards - Carapic, Decesare (vs Qormi), Gatt Baldacchino (vs Msida), Decesare (vs Msida).

Valletta: Priso 15 (4 pens.); G. Agius 7 (1 pen.), Falzon 7; Zammit 6; Massaro 3; Frendo 2, Pace 2, Dimech 2; Bondin, Tolomeotti, Monesterolo, Grioli, Briffa. Red cards - Giglio (vs Msida); Priso (vs Qormi); Briffa (vs Hibs).

Next fixtures

Saturday (National Stadium): 15.00 Sliema Wanderers vs Floriana; 17.00 Valletta vs Marsaxlokk.

Monday (National Stadium): 19.30 Birkirkara vs Hibs.