Upbeat Qormi eye top spot

Qormi are everyone's favourites to ease past bottom side Dingli Swallows this evening and regain top spot in the Premier League.

A hard-earned 2-1 victory over rivals Ħamrun Spartans on Monday ended a two-match losing run for Qormi who have cemented third place in the table, two points behind leaders Valletta and only one adrift of Birkirkara after the front duo failed to gain maximum points from their last matches.

Birkirkara slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Sliema Wanderers and Valletta were held to a two-all draw by Tarxien Rainbows. These results will have increased Qormi's motivation to overcome the absence of four key players, Alfred Effiong, Camilo, Keith Fenech and Roderick Sammut, and return to winning ways in their match against the Spartans.

Jesmond Zerafa, the Qormi coach, has good cause to be optimistic about his team's chances of climbing to the top and turning up the heat on Valletta and Birkirkara as Effiong and Fenech are back in the frame after serving suspension.

Brazilian striker Camilo, who also missed the Ħamrun win due to suspension, is unlikely to start as he is still recuperating from the groin operation he had in a Munich clinic last week. Defender Sammut is also expected to miss today's game due to work commitments overseas.

Dingli's fading hopes of reviving their survival bid suffered another hammer blow last Sunday after a 2-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Msida St Joseph. The Swallows are rooted to the bottom of the table with only three points from 16 matches.

Coach Jesmond Zammit had a tough task raising his players' flailing morale this week but, on the positive side, his options are buoyed by the return from suspension of Shawn Tellus, Roderick Briffa and Kevin Borg.

Clint Caruana is out of the equation after he received a one-match ban following his red card against Msida while Andre Rocha Da Silva, Matthew Borg and Victor Fiteni are ranked as doubtful.

Programme

Today: (Tedesco Stadium) 7.30 p.m. Qormi vs Dingli Swallows.

Tomorrow: (National Stadium) 2 p.m. Hibernians vs Tarxien; 4 p.m. Valletta vs Ħamrun Spartans.

Sunday: (Hibs Stadium) 2 p.m. Msida vs Birkirkara; 4 p.m Sliema vs Floriana.