Qormi stretched their positive run after a 2-2 draw against champions Hibs in an absorbing match. The point gained kept Qormi on top of the Premier League but they have since been joined by Birkirkara whose 2-0 victory over bottom team Dingli Swallows took their points tally to 29.
Friday's match at the Hibs Stadium saw Qormi take a 24th minute lead through Alfred Effiong but Etienne Barbara levelled matters for the champions on 33 minutes. Barbara marred his performance with a red card on 68 minutes after a spat with Qormi midfielder Keith Fenech who was also dismissed.
Brazilian striker Camilo put away a penalty 11 minutes from the end to restore Qormi's lead but in the dying stages, Andrew Cohen rescued a point for Hibs with a well-hit strike.
Birkirkara made the most of Qormi's failure to take maximum spoils as Sylvano Comvalius's brace lifted the Stripes to the top.
Valletta bounced back from their 3-1 upset to Sliema Wanderers with a narrow 1-0 victory over relegation strugglers Msida St Joseph. Terrence Scerri scored the decisive goal after 19 minutes as the Citizens, who missed a catalogue of scoring chances, narrowed the gap on the leading duo to two points.
Sliema Wanderers made it two wins in a row after beating Tarxien Rainbows 4-2 on Sunday. An own goal by Clifford Gatt Baldacchino handed Tarxien the lead but Sliema equalised through Ivan Woods on 25 minutes.
Pedrinho put Siema ahead close to the hour mark and, barely three minutes later, the Brazilian playmaker provided another boost for his team. His surging run through the middle prompted Tarxien midfielder David Camilleri to commit himself to a late tackle which earned him a red card.
Lucian Dronca all but sealed the points for the Blues when converting a penalty five minutes from the end but Denni pulled one back for Tarxien in stoppage time. There was still time for debutant Julio Alcorse to find the net for Sliema.
In Sunday's first match, Floriana and Ħamrun Spartans collected a point each after their game finished one-all. Marlon Briffa opened the scoring for the Greens after 12 minutes but Brazilian Marcelo Pereira levelled for Ħamrun Spartans nine minutes later.
Scorers
Birkirkara: Comvalius 11 (2 pens); Galea 5; Cilia 4; Mallia 3, Bajada 3; Pulo 2; Fenech, Buhagiar, Vukanac. Own goal - Wellman (vs Qormi). Red cards: Paris (vs Hibs), Zerafa (vs Qormi).
Dingli Swallows: Okonkwo 8 (2 pens), Borg. Own goals - Tabone (vs Birkirkara); Bonnici (vs Ħamrun). Red cards: Fiteni (vs Ħamrun), Cachia (vs Tarxien).
Floriana: Darmanin 5; Wasiu 3; Anonam 2; Simmonds, Caruana, Ciantar, M. Briffa. Own goal - Herrera (vs Hibs). Red cards - J. Briffa (vs Hibs, vs Qormi).
Ħamrun Spartans: Pereira 6 (2 pens); Spiteri 3; Cucciardi 2, Micallef 2; Fenech, Mawete. Own goal - Magro (vs Tarxien). Red cards - Micallef (vs Birkirkara), Pereira (vs Floriana), Fenech (vs Tarxien).
Hibs: Malasenoks 4, Cohen 4 (2 pens.); Galabov 3; Herrera 2, J. Caruana 2, Callejas 2, Barbara 2; Cauchi, Pulis, B. Camilleri. Own goals - Conceicao (vs Dingli), Fenech (vs Ħamrun). Red cards - Grech (vs Msida SJ), Muscat (vs Tarxien), Barbara (vs Qormi).
Msida SJ: T. Farrugia 2, Spiteri 2; Aganun, Lattes.
Qormi: Camilo 17 (1 pen.); Effiong 7; Grima 2, Farrugia 2 (1 pen.); Chetcuti, Deguara, Wellman. Red card - Fenech (vs Hibs).
Sliema: Mifsud Triganza 7; Woods 3; Bartolo 2, Dronca 2 (2 pens); Failla, Isaac, Mintoff, Pedrinho, Alcorse. Own goal - T. Farrugia (vs Msida). Red card - Gatt Baldacchino (vs Floriana).
Tarxien Rainbows: Ribeiro 7, Denni 7; Calabretta 2; Shead, Everton, Tanti. Own goal - Gatt Baldacchino (vs Sliema). Red cards - Ribeiro (vs Dingli, vs Ħamrun), Camilleri (vs Sliema).
Valletta: Scerri 8; Priso 6 (3 pens); Cruyff 4; Pace 2, Sammut 2, Agius 2, Zammit 2; Den Ouden, Briffa. Red card - G. Agius (vs Sliema).
Next fixtures
Friday: Tedesco Stadium - 7.30 p.m. Ħamrun vs Sliema.
Saturday: National Stadium - 2 p.m. Birkirkara vs Hibs; 4 p.m. Valletta vs Qormi.
Sunday: Hibs Stadium - 2 p.m. Tarxien vs Msida; 4 p.m. Dingli vs Floriana.