BOV Premier League highlights

Birkirkara are in seventh heaven.

Having led the Premier League for much of the past two months, the Stripes accomplished their title mission on Friday after a 1-0 victory over Tarxien Rainbows lifted them four points clear of second-placed Valletta with one match to go.

Roared on by thousands of flag-waving fans, Birkirkara scored what proved to be the winning goal six minutes from half-time thanks to Shaun Bajada's well-struck drive from just outside the box.

With Tarxien offering precious little going forward, Birkirkara easily preserved their slim lead to clinch the title. The final whistle marked the start of the Stripes' title party as the ecstatic players milked the adulation of the jubilant fans.

On Thursday, Valletta had to fight harder than expected to earn the three points at the expense of Qormi, who were playing their first match since the departure of coach Jesmond Zerafa.

Goals from Steve Bezzina and Michael Mifsud gave Valletta a 2-0 half-time lead but Qormi staged a bold reaction in the second half.

Massimo Grima pulled one back for Qormi with an excellent free-kick seven minutes from the end but there was little time left for the Yellow-Blacks to snatch an equaliser.

The win temporarily moved Valletta to within one point of Birkirkara but the latter's defeat of Tarxien killed the Citizens' hopes of forcing a last-day title decider against the Stripes.

In Friday's opening game, Sliema Wanderers enjoyed an easy 3-0 victory over Hibernians to go three points clear of Qormi in third place.

Lucian Dronca, from a penalty, Ivan Woods and Clayton Failla were on target for the Blues.

Statistics

Birkirkara: Comvalius 15 (2 pens); Cilia 12, Galea 12; Bajada 7; Pulo 5; Mallia 4; Vukanac 2; Fenech, Buhagiar, Nisevic. Own goals - Wellman (vs Qormi); Ciantar (vs Floriana). Red cards: Paris (vs Hibs), Zerafa (vs Qormi).

Dingli: Okonkwo 13 (3 pens); Zarb 3; Da Silva 2 (1 pen); Borg, Cachia, Spiteri. Own goals - Tabone (vs Birkirkara); Bonnici (vs Ħamrun). Red cards: Fiteni (vs Ħamrun), Cachia (vs Tarxien), Tellus (vs Sliema, vs Qormi), Caruana (vs Msida), E. Farrugia (vs Msida).

Floriana: Darmanin 17; Caruana 4; Wasiu 3; Anonam 2, Ciantar 2; Simmonds, M. Briffa, Doffo, Zlydarev, Ghebru, Said. Own goal - Herrera (vs Hibs). Red cards - J. Briffa (vs Hibs, vs Qormi); Said (vs Dingli); Doffo (vs Sliema), Zlydarev (vs Msida).

Ħamrun: Pereira 15 (6 pens); Spiteri 5, Fenech 5; Mawete 4; Zammit 3 (2 pens), Cucciardi 2, Micallef 2, Obifuele 2 (1 pen.), Mifsud 2. Own goal - Magro (vs Tarxien). Red cards - Micallef (vs Birkirkara), Pereira (vs Floriana), Fenech (vs Tarxien), Spiteri (vs Floriana).

Hibs: Cohen 6 (3 pens.); J. Caruana 4, Malasenoks 4; Barbara 3, Galabov 3, Pulis 3, Callejas 3, Herrera 3; B. Camilleri 2, Lopes de Pina 2, T. Caruana 2; Cauchi, Farrugia. Own goals - Conceicao (vs Dingli), Fenech (vs Ħamrun), Hogg (vs Valletta). Red cards - Grech (vs Msida SJ), Muscat (vs Tarxien), Barbara (vs Qormi), Lopes de Pina (vs Valletta), Pulis (vs Tarxien).

Msida: T. Farrugia 7 (2 pens); Lattes 3; Kalenga 2, Spiteri 2 Ciantar 2, Formosa 2; Aganun, Sciberras, Levnaic, Bartolo (pen.), Curmi. Own goal: Conceicao (vs Dingli). Red cards: Grech (vs Dingli), Bartolo (vs Ħamrun).

Qormi: Camilo 23 (3 pens); Effiong 12; Grima 6; Farrugia 2 (1 pen.), Deguara 2, Bartolo 2; Chetcuti, Wellman, Giglio. Red cards - Fenech (vs Hibs), Bondin (vs Birkirkara).

Sliema: Mifsud Triganza 13; Woods 8 (1 pen); Dronca 5 (4 pens); Alcorse 3; Bartolo 2, Azzopardi 2, Fenech 2, Failla 2; Isaac, Mintoff, Pedrinho. Own goal - T. Farrugia (vs Msida). Red card - Gatt Baldacchino (vs Floriana), Pedrinho (vs Msida), Fenech (vs Hibs), Muscat (vs Hibs).

Tarxien: Denni 15 (1 pen); Ribeiro 11; Calabretta 4, Decesare 4; Tanti 2; Shead, Everton, Camilleri. Own goal - Gatt Baldacchino (vs Sliema). Red cards - Ribeiro (vs Dingli, vs Ħamrun), Camilleri (vs Sliema), Cassar (vs Ħamrun).

Valletta: Scerri 17; Cruyff 10 (2 pens); Priso 8 (3 pens); G. Agius 7, Mifsud 7; O'Brien 6; Pace 4; Sammut 3; Zammit 2; Den Ouden, Briffa, Bezzina. Red cards - G. Agius (vs Sliema), Priso (vs Ħamrun Spartans), Scicluna (vs Sliema), Borg (vs Birkirkara), Dimech (vs Sliema).

Next fixtures: BOV Premier League

Today: (National Stadium) 6 p.m. Hibs vs Tarxien; 8 p.m. Qormi vs Sliema.

Tomorrow: (National Stadium) 7.30 p.m. Valletta vs Birkirkara.