Birkirkara stayed on course to win the Premier League title with a 3-0 victory over Sliema Wanderers on Friday. Valletta went into their match against Tarxien seven points off the top but a hat-trick from striker Michael Mifsud ensured that the Citizens cut the gap on the Stripes to four points with four matches remaining.

Coming from two straight defeats, Sliema were under pressure to get their bid for third place back on track but their hopes suffered an early setback when Serbian defender Nikola Vukanac headed Birkirkara into the lead after 15 minutes.

Trevor Cilia doubled Birkirkara's advantage six minutes into the second half and was on target again on the hour to wrap up his team's victory.

Valletta took a sixth-minute lead against Tarxien, Mifsud finishing off a fluid move, involving Doding Priso and Kevin Sammut, with a crisp shot.

Valletta may have thought that their task of beating Tarxien had been made easier but that was not the case. Sticking to their attacking philosophy, Tarxien hit back strongly and created a string of scoring chances but their confidence was jolted when Mifsud put Valletta 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time.

Valletta sealed the points when Mifsud completed his hat-trick with a stunning shot from a tight angle 10 minutes from time.

Qormi completed an excellent week with a 3-0 dismissal of Hibernians in last weekend's final match. Last week, Qormi edged Hibs in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the FA Trophy semi-finals but their league victory on Sunday was more straightforward.

Nigerian striker Alfred Effiong fired Qormi ahead a minute from half-time and the Nigerian increased his side's lead with a second nine minutes into the second half.

Brazilian forward Camilo ensured Qormi moved three points clear of Sliema in third place after scoring his team's third goal on 63 minutes.

In the Relegation Pool, Floriana assured themselves of another season in the top flight with a 1-0 victory over Ħamrun. The winning goal came from Ryan Darmanin 14 minutes into the second half.

Victory for Floriana meant that Msida St Joseph were mathematically relegated.

The Saints suffered further disappointment on Sunday as they went down 5-2 to bottom side Dingli Swallows who obtained only their second win of the season.

Goals from Dylan Zarb, Andre Rocha da Silva and Joseph Okonkwo, who scored a brace, gave Dingli a 4-0 lead inside the opening 53 minutes but Msida reduced the leeway with goals from Tyrone Farrugia and Andrew Formosa.

Zarb rounded the scoring when scoring Dingli's fifth goal on the stroke of time.

Scorers

Birkirkara: Comvalius 13 (2 pens); Galea 10; Cilia 9; Pulo 5; Bajada 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 12 (3 pens); Zarb 2; Da Silva 2 (1 pen); Borg, Cachia. 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 14; 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), Spiteri (vs Floriana).

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 5; Lattes 3; Kalenga 2, Spiteri 2, Ciantar 2, Formosa 2; Aganun, Sciberras, Levnaic, Bartolo (pen.). Own goal: Conceicao (vs Dingli). Red card: Grech (vs Dingli).

Qormi: Camilo 23 (3 pens); Effiong 11; 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 cards - 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, Mifsud 4; Sammut 3; Zammit 2; Den Ouden, Briffa. Red cards - G. Agius (vs Sliema), Priso (vs Ħamrun Spartans), Scicluna (vs Sliema), Borg (vs Birkirkara).

Next fixtures

Anniversary Cup Final
Today: (National Stadium) 7.30 p.m. Valletta vs Floriana.

BOV Premier League
Thursday: (National Stadium) 6 p.m. Sliema vs Tarxien; 8 p.m. Birkirkara vs Qormi.
Friday: (National Stadium) 6 p.m. Msida SJ vs Floriana; 8 p.m. Valletta vs Hibs. (Tedesco Stadium) 7.30 p.m. Ħamrun vs Dingli.

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