There were no changes at the top of the BOV Premier League standings as Match-Day 28 saw long-time leaders Valletta doing just enough to beat Balzan Youths and nearest pursuers Hibernians coming from behind to outsmart Sliema Wanderers and stay six points behind the Citizens.

The most significant change in the Championship Pool was Floriana’s jump to third place after having the better of Birkirkara in a direct clash for a berth in Europe next season.

At the lower end of the Premier League, Marsaxlokk are now sure of playing in Division One next season but Tarxien Rainbows eased their worries significantly following a comfortable win over fellows-in-distress Mqabba on Monday.

Against a lacklustre Balzan side, still without a win in the Championship Pool, Valletta again relied on the prowess of the in-form William Barbosa.

The Brazilian thundered home the only goal of the match from the distance early on for his team to maintain their cushion lead over the Paolites.

Hibs conceded a first-half goal to Sliema, scored by Steve Bezzina, but hit back strongly after the break showing their upset to Valletta in the previous week did not leave lasting damage.

Mark Miller’s team won the match 3-1 following goals by Jason Vandelannoite, Luis Edison and Edward Herrera.

Birkirkara were stunned by two quick Omone Sodje goals just before half-time.

The Stripes tried desperately hard to save the match but they only had a Moises Avila-Peres goal to show in the end as Floriana, despite having Clyde Borg sent off 15 minutes from time, held on to their slender lead to leapfrog their opponents in the standings.

This was a season to forget for bottom-placed Marsaxlokk who after conceding a 5-1 upset to Qormi (for whom Jorginho scored a hat-trick), they had their fate sealed 48 hours later when Tarxien trounced Mqabba 5-0.

Adrian Carabott was twice on the mark for the Rainbows who had Daniel Mariano Bueno in excellent form against Mqabba and now face a ‘decider’ against third-bottom side Mosta on Saturday.

Qormi and Ħamrun appear to have obtained enough points to avoid the dreaded drop and both sides can now focus on the FA Trophy semi-finals.

The Spartans maintained their unbeaten run in the Relegation Pool following a one-all draw with Mosta who took the lead through Jonathan Bajada midway through the second half.

However, Anderson Ribeiro put the Spartans level only four minutes later to avoid an anxiouslast few weeks of the league campaign.

Premier League statistics

Scorers, red cards

Balzan: Pedrinho 12 (1 pen), Ciantar 6; Bright 5; Forace 2, Grima 2; Tasic, Camilleri, Farrugia, Bernardes, Pace.
Own goal: Camilleri (vs Ħamrun).
Red cards: Pedrinho (vs Qormi, vs Mqabba), Francica (vs Hibs; vs Sliema; vs Floriana), Forace (vs Tarxien), C. Ciantar (vs Valletta, vs Floriana), Guga (vs Valletta), Tasic (vs Floriana), Farrugia (vs Hibs).

Birkirkara: Avila Perez 14 (1 pen); Jorge 5; Cilia 4 (3 pens), Haruna 4; Pereira 3 (1 pen), Mifsud Triganza 3 (1 pen.); Grech 2, Vella 2 (1 pen), Bajada 2; Buhagiar, Zerafa, Muscat, Fenech, Camilleri, Vukanac, Scicluna.
Red cards: Decesare (vs Mosta), Grech (vs Qormi), Avila Perez, Bajada (vs Mosta), Decesare, Pereira (vs Hibs).

Floriana: Grabowski 7; Caruana 6, Woods 6 (2 pens); Sodje 5; Micallef 3; Cassar 2, Mintoff 2, J. Borg 2, Darmanin 2; Odwong, Farrugia, C. Borg, Alandson, Licari, Doffo, Akoto.
Own goal: Everton (vs Tarxien).
Red cards: Amamoo (vs Sliema); Bartolo (vs Birkirkara, vs Balzan), Akoto (vs Qormi, vs Birkirkara); Micallef (vs Birkirkara); Pisani (vs Hibs); Caruana (vs Balzan); C. Borg (vs Birkirkara).

Ħamrun Spartans: Ribeiro 13; Grima 8, Shields 8 (2 pens); Sammut 5; Calabretta 3; Luis Silva, Toneto Porcari, Agius, Polli, Hartvig.
Own goal: Bugeja (vs Floriana).
Red cards: Agius (vs Balzan), Polli (vs Birkirkara), Sammut (vs Balzan), Borg (vs Qormi).

Hibernians: Edison 22 (2 pens); Failla 13 (2 pens); Cohen 7; Lima 5; Pisani 4, Dias 4, Herrera 4; Anizoba 3; Caruana 2, Soares 2; Vandelannoite.
Own goal: Grima (vs Mqabba).
Red cards: Pulis (vs Valletta), Dias (vs Birkirkara).

Marsaxlokk: Deanov 4, Farrugia 4; Templeman 3 (2 pen); Lattes 2; Pedrozo, Kokavessis, Campagnoli, Oladotun, Caruana, Stoskovic.
Red cards: Templeman (vs Hibernians), Brincat (vs Qormi), Valeriani (vs Valletta), Templeman (vs Qormi), Xerri (vs Tarxien).

Mosta: Obiefule 24 (4 pens; 10 goals for Marsaxlokk); Zammit 5 (1 pen); Martin 3, Mvondo 3; Aboulezz 2, Bajada 2; Arilson, Borg, Magro.
Own goal: Buhagiar (vs Birkirkara).
Red cards: Ossok (vs Hibs); Tisbi (vs Qormi), Martin (vs Tarxien), Raimy (vs Mqabba), Zammit (vs Sliema).

Mqabba: Mamic 10 (2 pens); Mazzitelli 7 (1 pen); Nwoba 4; Muscat 2; Azzopardi, Briffa, Potezica, Bonnici, Timotic, Sammut, Calleja.
Red cards: Mazzitelli (vs Marsaxlokk), Mamic (vs Hibs), Timotic (vs Hibs), Psaila (vs Qormi), Fenech (vs Mosta).

Qormi: Jorginho 15 (2 pens); Farrugia 11 (5 pens); Bello Osagie 7 (1 pen); Nwoke 4; Bondin 2; Bartolo, Sciberras, Caio, Caruana, Thackray.
Red cards: Duff (vs Birkirkara), Jorginho (vs Floriana), Sammut (vs Sliema).

Sliema Wanderers: Mitev 8 (4 pens); Lima 4; Bajada 4, Lattes 4 (1 pen); Frendo 3, Jorge 3; Bogdanovic 2, Mifsud Triganza 2, Ani 2, Eyenga 2; Scerri, Galabov, Fenech, A. Muscat, Cilia, Mifsud, Bezzina.
Red cards: Scerri (vs Hibs, vs Balzan), Grech (vs Floriana), Mitev (vs Marsaxlokk; vs Balzan), Mifsud (vs Hibs, vs Tarxien), B. Muscat (vs Birkirkara, vs Qormi), Eyenga (vs Balzan), Gatt Baldacchino (vs Birkirkara).

Tarxien Rainbows: Bueno 10 (1 pen); Ricardo 9 (2 pens); Carabott 4; Pulo 3; Mayasi 2 (1 pen), Anonam 2, Galvao 2; Everton, De Castro (pen).
Own goal: Pereira (vs Birkirkara).
Red cards: Anonam (vs Mosta), Costa (vs Balzan; Mosta), Caio (vs Valletta), Everton (vs Balzan)

Valletta: Barbosa 12 (2 pens); Denni 11; Effiong 9; Zongo 8; Mifsud 7 (1 pen); Borg 4 (1 pen); Cekulajevs 4, G. Agius 4, Briffa 4; Pace 2; Caruana, E. Agius, Scerri (pen).
Red cards: G. Agius, Borg, Fenech (vs Hibs); Effiong (vs Birkirkara); Hogg (vs Hibs).

Next fixtures
Friday: Tedesco Stadium – 18.00 Ħamrun vs Marsaxlokk; 20.15 Sliema vs Balzan.
Saturday: National Stadium – 15.00 Hibernians vs Floriana; 17.00 Mosta vs Mqabba.
Sunday: National Stadium – 15.00 Tarxien vs Qormi; 17.00 Birkirkara vs Valletta.

Standings