BoV Premier League Highlights

Birkirkara have given their title chances a massive boost after pulling off a 1-0 win in their top-of-the-table clash with Valletta on Sunday.

Played in front of the biggest crowd of the season, the match unfolded into a tight, well-fought affair but scoring chances were few and far between. The Stripes took the three points courtesy of Trevor Cilia who struck the goal that mattered after 19 minutes.

Cilia capitalised on Steve Bezzina's hesitancy as the Birkirkara winger literally nudged the ball away from the feet of the Valletta left-back and into the net after goalkeeper Andrew Hogg had fumbled Shaun Bajada's grounder.

Despite dominating possession, Valletta's pressure lacked bite as the disciplined Birkirkara worked their socks off to disrupt their opponents' momentum. Valletta finished the game with ten men after right-back Steve Borg was red-carded for aiming an elbow at Shaun Bajada's back.

Thanks to Sunday's victory, Birkirkara now lead Valletta by four points with only five matches left.

Sliema Wanderers' rising optimism in their title chances was jolted by Qormi on Saturday.

A win would have taken the Blues closer to the top duo but Qormi had other ideas as they put a serious dent in Sliema's title bid with a 4-0 win.

Camilo, who had scored on his Qormi debut in a 1-0 win over Sliema back in August, stole the limelight with a four-goal performance, two of which came from penalties. Victory for Qormi moved them level with Sliema in third place on 24 points.

Tarxien Rainbows on Sunday secured their second victory over neighbouring rivals Hibs this season.

Denni was instrumental in Tarxien's victory as he scored both goals in a deserved 2-0 win. The Brazilian forward might have had a hat-trick but his second-half penalty was saved by Mario Muscat.

Noel Coleiro's team have now joined Hibs in fifth place on 17 points.

Ħamrun Spartans have retained their Premier League status after coming out on top in an eight-goal match against Msida St Joseph.

Four penalties were given by referee Marco Borg in an entertaining derby, three for the Spartans and one for Msida. The first half produced a goal glut as the two teams shared six goals.

Zoran Levnaic put Msida ahead after seven minutes, Roderick Fenech equalised for the Spartans before goalkeeper Manuel Bartolo converted the first penalty of the game as Msida went 2-1 up.

Ħamrun made it 2-2 thanks to Marcelo Pereira's penalty but Miguel Ciantar restored Msida's one-goal lead five minutes from half-time.

Pereira scored his second penalty in the dying stages of the first half and the Spartans sealed the points and their place in the top flight with second-half goals from Gaetan Spiteri and Ian Zammit, from a penalty.

Scorers

Birkirkara: Comvalius 13 (2 pens); Galea 10; Cilia 7; Pulo 5; Bajada 5; Mallia 4; Fenech, Buhagiar, Vukanac, Nisevic. Own goals - Wellman (vs Qormi); Ciantar (vs Floriana). Red cards: Paris (vs Hibs), Zerafa (vs Qormi).

Dingli: Okonkwo 10 (2 pens), Borg, Cachia, Da Silva. 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 13; Wasiu 3, Caruana 3; Anonam 2, Ciantar 2; Simmonds, M. Briffa, Doffo, Zlydarev, Ghebru. Own goal - Herrera (vs Hibs). Red cards - J. Briffa (vs Hibs, vs Qormi); Said (vs Dingli); Doffo (vs Sliema), Zlydarev (vs Msida).

Ħamrun: Pereira 14 (6 pens); Spiteri 5, Fenech 5; Mawete 4; Cucciardi 2, Micallef 2, Zammit 2 (2 pens), Mifsud, Obifuele. Own goal - Magro (vs Tarxien). Red cards - Micallef (vs Birkirkara), Pereira (vs Floriana), Fenech (vs Tarxien).

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

Msida: T. Farrugia 4; Lattes 3; Kalenga 2, Spiteri 2 Ciantar 2; Aganun, Formosa, Sciberras, Levnais, Bartolo (pen.). Own goal: Conceicao (vs Dingli).

Qormi: Camilo 22 (3 pens); Effiong 9; Grima 3; Farrugia 2 (1 pen.), Deguara 2, Bartolo 2; Chetcuti, Wellman, Giglio. Red cards - Fenech (vs Hibs), Bondin (vs Birkirkara).

Sliema: Mifsud Triganza 13; Woods 7 (1 pen); Dronca 4 (3 pens); Bartolo 2, Alcorse 2, Azzopardi 2; Failla, Isaac, Mintoff, Pedrinho, Fenech. Own goal - T. Farrugia (vs Msida). Red card - Gatt Baldacchino (vs Floriana), Pedrinho (vs Msida), Fenech (vs Hibs), Muscat (vs Hibs).

Tarxien: Denni 13 (1 pen); Ribeiro 11; Decesare 3; Calabretta 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 16; Cruyff 9 (2 pens); Priso 7 (3 pens); G. Agius 7; O'Brien 6; Pace 4; Sammut 3; Zammit 2; Den Ouden, Briffa, Mifsud. Red cards - G. Agius (vs Sliema), Priso (vs Ħamrun), Scicluna (vs Sliema), Borg (vs Birkirkara).