Valletta's title celebrations were the main item on the local football menu last weekend but Marsaxlokk, the deposed champions, managed to grab a share of the limelight.
Requiring a win from their final league match to secure a UEFA Cup spot as league runners-up, Marsaxlokk produced a vibrant performance to humble the new champions by four goals to nil.
A defeat by such a wide margin was not in Valletta's script for the final act of their title-winning campaign but the celebrations were back in full swing after the final whistle when the City players stepped on the podium to receive the BOV trophy.
Marsaxlokk also left the stadium delighted to have attained their UEFA Cup target. After Jamie Pace had given Marsaxlokk the lead, Valletta raised their game and created a handful of chances but their hopes of a comeback suffered a blow when Justin Grioli was sent off after his penalty-box foul on Aleksandar Madzar cost him a second yellow card.
Julio Alcorse's penalty was blocked by Andrew Hogg but 19 minutes from time, Marsaxlokk substitute Steve Wellman doubled his side's lead. He was on target again late on after Madzar had made it 3-0 with 14 minutes left.
In midweek, Birkirkara and Sliema won their final league matches to gain temporary residence of second place in the standings. Goals by central defenders Ron Hartvig and Emil Yanchev handed Birkirkara a 2-0 win over Ħamrun while Sliema beat Floriana by the same scoreline, Roderick Briffa and Orosco Anonam the scorers for the Blues.
Birkirkara and Sliema finished level on 34 points but their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup via the league depended on the result of the final league match between Valletta and Marsaxlokk. Had the latter failed to gain maximum points, Sliema and Birkirkara would have secured a place in Europe but the southerners frustrated their rivals with their win over the champions.
Birkirkara can still qualify for the UEFA Cup if they reach the FA Trophy final but if that is not forthcoming, they will have to play Sliema in a decider.
The concluding matches from the Relegation Pool produced a 4-2 victory for Msida St Joseph at the expense of relegated Pietà Hotspurs and a 1-1 draw between Hibs and bottom side Mqabba.
Despite finishing outside the top six, Hibs could find themselves in the Intertoto Cup if Birkirkara were to clinch the second UEFA Cup spot. Sliema have not applied to take part in the Intertoto Cup and Floriana and Ħamrun Spartans, who finished fifth and sixth respectively, do not have a UEFA licence.
Statistics
Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 11 (1 pen); Sylla 7; M. Galea 6; Tabone 5 (2 pens), Hartvig 5; Bajada 4; Yanchev 2; Tamboulas, T. Paris, Fenech, Anastasi, Zerafa. Own goal: Rod. Fenech (vs Ħamrun). Red card: Yanchev (vs Sliema Wanderers). Missed penalty: Tabone (vs Floriana).
Floriana: Darmanin 10 (1 pen); Micallef 5 (1 pen.); Krsteski 4 (1 pen.); Bolasie 4; Cilia 3, C. Caruana 3, Mifsud 3 (moved to Hibs); Brincat 2, Cassar 2; M. Caruana, Sevasta, Levnaic. Own goal: Chetcuti (vs Sliema). Red cards: M. Brincat (vs Mqabba); Krsteski (vs Sliema); Gauci (vs Hibs); Cassar (vs Mqabba); Bugeja (vs Marsaxlokk); Ciantar (vs Marsaxlokk). Missed penalty: Mifsud (vs Msida).
Ħamrun: Effiong 10; Spiteri 8, Sultana 8 (3 pens); Rod. Fenech 2, Ryan Fenech 2, Mangion 2, Cucciardi 2, Meilak 2, Timotic 2; Briffa, Agius. Own goals: Conceicao (vs Marsaxlokk); Scicluna (vs Valletta). Red cards: Ryan Fenech (vs Pietà); Timotic (vs Birkirkara); Briffa (vs Pietà), Rod. Fenech (vs Hibs; vs Floriana; vs Birkirkara).
Hibernians: Scerri 11 (1 pen); Cohen 6 (1 pen); Doffo 4; Mifsud 2, Agius 2, Xuereb 2 (1 pen), Alcorse 2 (moved to Marsaxlokk), Failla 2; Edafe, Chukunyere, Camilleri. Own goal: Said (vs Sliema). Red cards: Failla (vs Floriana), Edafe (vs Floriana; vs Marsaxlokk). Missed penalties: Cohen (vs Pietà), Scerri (vs Msida SJ, vs Mqabba), Chukunyere (vs Pietà), Doffo (vs Mqabba).
Marsaxlokk: Alcorse 10 (1 pen); Licari 7 (1 pen); Madzar 6, Barbara 6, Sammut 6 (1 pen.); Frendo 5; Pace 3; Wellman 2, Gomes 2, Camenzuli 2, Pullicino 2; Da Silva, Templeman, Mamo. Own goals: Borg (vs Msida); Agius (vs Floriana). Red cards: Conceicao (vs Pietà); Alcorse (vs Sliema); Frendo (vs Valletta); Pullicino (vs Sliema). Missed penalties: Gomes (vs Sliema); Licari (vs Valletta); Alcorse (vs Valletta).
Mqabba: Pereira 14 (3 pens); Briffa 2, Zarb 2, Silva 2 (2 pens); Gatt Baldacchino, Calleja, Nogueira, Bonnici. Red cards: Pereira (vs Birkirkara); M. Psaila (vs Birkirkara); P. Psaila (vs Pietà).
Msida SJ: Doding 11 (3 pens); Pedrinho 8; T. Farrugia 7; A. Farrugia 5; Gilberto dos Santos 4 (1 pen); Borg 2; Baldacchino, Ogbonna, Magri, Camilleri. Red cards: A. Farrugia (vs Birkirkara); Brincat (vs Hibs); Pedrinho (vs Mqabba); Spiteri (vs Marsaxlokk); Doding, Cachia, Grima (all vs Sliema); Bartolo (vs Valletta), T. Farrugia (vs Mqabba). Missed penalties: Doding (vs Hibs); Pedrinho (vs Marsaxlokk).
Pietà Hotspurs: Deanov 7; Kondev 6 (5 pens); Herrera 5; Pulo 2, Q. Refalo 2, Deliminkov 2; Galabov, Goodlip, Sulas. Red cards: Aquilina (vs Valletta); Kondev (vs Marsaxlokk, vs Msida); Montfort (vs Msida); Q. Refalo (vs Ħamrun); Pulo (vs Mqabba), Gera (vs Msida). Missed penalties: Kondev (vs Msida), Herrera (vs Hibs).
Sliema: Woods 10 (3 pens); Barbara 8 (1 pen.); Madzar 4 (moved to Marsaxlokk), Bartolo 4, Bajada 4; Briffa 3, Said 3, Anonam 3; Muscat 2; Milovanovic, Da Silva, Turner, Nisevic. Own goals: Bonnici (vs Mqabba); Sciberras (vs Pietà). Red cards: Bajada (vs Ħamrun); Pace (vs Birkirkara); Da Silva (vs Marsaxlokk); Woods (vs Ħamrun). Missed penalties: Woods (vs Birkirkara 2); Barbara (vs Floriana).
Valletta: Monesterolo 19 (4 pens); Temile 10; Zammit 8; Giglio 4 (1 pen); Agius 3; Camilleri 2, Scicluna 2, Backhaus 2, Mifsud 2, Grioli 2; Mattocks, Bondin, Falzon. Own goal: Mallia (vs Birkirkara). Red cards: Zammit (vs Pietà); Mattocks (vs Mqabba); Monesterolo (vs Floriana); Bezzina (vs Hibs); Temile (vs Floriana); Grioli (vs Marsaxlokk). Missed penalties: Monesterolo 2 (vs Pietà).