Hibernians stayed at the summit of the Premier League table after a 2-0 victory over rivals Tarxien Rainbows extended their winning run to five consecutive matches.
Champions Valletta bounced back from their defeat to the Paolites with a hard-earned 4-2 victory over Mqabba.
The derby was the match of the weekend. After a goalless first half, Hibs began the second period in aggressive fashion to storm ahead courtesy of Clayton Failla.
Tarxien, who went into Sunday’s game with only one win from five matches, had a golden opportunity to even the score as they were awarded a penalty 20 minutes from time but Daniel Mariano Bueno’s spot-kick was saved by Mario Muscat.
Bueno’s miss proved costly as Luis Edison secured Hibs’ win with a second goal 15 minutes from the end.
Valletta needed a late Denni goal to put their minds at rest after Mqabba had twice cancelled one-goal deficits in the first half.
Ousseni Zongo fired the Citizens ahead inside the opening minute but Marlon Briffa equalised mid-way into the first half.
Brazilian striker William Barbosa put Valletta 2-1 up on 25 minutes but Mqabba made it 2-2 nine minutes from half-time with an excellent free-kick by Bojan Mamic.
Barbosa scored his second and Valletta’s third with a header on 67 minutes before Denni made sure of the points two minutes from time.
Floriana started the weekend level on 12 points with Valletta in second place but the Greens are now third after being held to a 1-1 draw by Qormi on Friday.
Nigerian striker Daniel Nwoke, who was facing his former team, gave Qormi a 25th-minute lead but Tyrone Farrugia salvaged a point for Floriana with a 69th-minute equaliser.
Spanish striker Moises Avila Perez took centre-stage with a wonder goal in Birkirkara’s 2-1 win over Marsaxlokk.
He leapt into the air to direct an overhead kick past goalkeeper Christian Cassar and fire Birkirkara 2-0 up 20 minutes from time.
Rodriguez Pereira had opened the scoring for the Stripes with a well-taken free-kick 12 minutes into the second half and Dylan Kokavessis scored Marsaxlokk’s consolation goal late on.
Sliema Wanderers slipped four points off the top as they could not go beyond a 1-1 draw with Balzan Youths.
Danial Mitev looked to have put Sliema on the way to an easy win when he converted a 21st-minute penalty but a series of fine saves by Matthew Camilleri kept Balzan in the game.
On-loan winger Miguel Ciantar earned Balzan a point with a close-range header early in the second half.
Ħamrun Spartans claimed their first win in six games after edging fellow strugglers Mosta 1-0.
Brazilian striker Cadu Toneto Porcari scored the winner 10 minutes into the second half.
Premier League statistics
Scorers, red cards
Balzan Youths: Ciantar 3; Camilleri.
Red cards: Pedrinho (vs Qormi, vs Mqabba), Francica (vs Hibs).
Birkirkara: Avila 5; Cilia 2 (1 pen), Pereira 2.
Red card: Decesare (vs Mosta).
Floriana: Caruana 3; Woods 2; Cassar, Odwong, Mintoff, Farrugia.
Own goal: Everton (vs Tarxien).
Red card: Amamoo (vs Sliema Wanderers)
Ħamrun Spartans: Luis Silva, Grima, Sammut, Toneto Porcari.
Red card: Agius (vs Balzan).
Hibernians: Edison 8; Failla 4; Caruana, Soares, Cohen.
Red card: Pulis (vs Valletta).
Marsaxlokk: Obiefule 5; Deanov 2; Farrugia, Kokavessis.
Red card: Templeman (vs Hibernians).
Mosta: Zammit 2 (1 pen); Martin.
Own goal: Buhagiar (vs Birkirkara).
Mqabba: Mazzitelli 3, Mamic 3; Azzopardi, Briffa.
Red card: Mazzitelli (vs Marsaxlokk).
Qormi: Farrugia 4 (2 pens); Jorge Pereira 3; Nwoke 2; Bello Osagie, Bartolo, Sciberras.
Sliema: Jorge 2, Mifsud Triganza 2, Mitev 2 (1 pen); Lima, Scerri, Bajada, Ani.
Red cards: Scerri (vs Hibernians), Grech (vs Floriana), Mitev (vs Marsaxlokk).
Tarxien Rainbows: Ricardo 3; Bueno 2 (1 pen); Everton.
Red card: Anonam (vs Mosta).
Valletta: Effiong 4, Barbosa 4; Denni 3; Mifsud 2; Borg, Pace, Zongo.
Red cards: G. Agius (vs Hibernians), Borg (vs Hibernians), Fenech (vs Hibernians).
Current standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Hibernians | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 16 |
| Valletta | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 15 |
| Floriana | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Sliema | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 12 |
| Qormi | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Birkirkara | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Mqabba | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| Balzan Youths | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| Marsaxlokk | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 4 |
| Ħamrun | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Tarxien | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| Mosta | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 1 |
Next fixtures
Saturday, October 15 (National Stadium)
15.00 Qormi vs Mqabba
17.00 Valletta vs Birkirkara
Sunday, October 16 (National Stadium)
15.00 Tarxien vs Marsaxlokk
17.00 Ħamrun vs Sliema
Monday, October 17 (Tedesco Stadium)
18.00 Mosta vs Hibernians
20.15 Floriana vs Balzan