Floriana 0
Valletta 4
Briffa 12; G. Agius 16; Sammut 34; Scerri 41
There were no Christmas trees and no eye-catching light decorations at the National Stadium yesterday but Valletta chose this venue to give their fans the perfect Christmas gift.
Pitched in a Boxing Day derby against Floriana, Valletta outclassed their rivals to the tune of 4-0 to cut the gap on leaders Qormi to one point.
Given Valletta's riches, Floriana would have been hard-pressed to match their neighbours even if they had a full squad, never mind with an injury-ravaged team as was the case yesterday.
Floriana's weakened side were blown apart by the imperious Valletta yesterday despite turning in a battling performance.
The game was as good as over by the end of the first half as Valletta raced into an impregnable four-goal lead to raise their fans' optimism that they might replicate or even better their 6-0 drubbing of Floriana in the first round.
This failed to materialise as the Greens put up a better fight in the second half and Valletta went into overdrive without ever forfeiting the initiative.
The only positive news for Floriana yesterday came off the field as Zoran Popovic has reportedly agreed to become the club's new coach and is expected to take charge of his first training session today.
Ton Caanen made two alterations from the team that came from behind to rescue a point in a one-all draw against Birkirkara last weekend.
Edmond Agius stepped into the boots of the suspended Jordi Cruyff while Steve Bezzina was restored to City's initial XI at the expense of midfielder Jamie Pace.
The decision to drop Pace from the starting line-up meant that Caanen had to tinker with players' positions. Bezzina assumed his usual position at left-back but Roderick Briffa was switched to right midfield.
Plagued by the absence of several first-choice players, including suspended duo Pablo Doffo and Julian Briffa and the injured Owen Bugeja, Luke Agius and goalkeeper Bernard Paris, Orosco Anonam, Floriana's player-coach, favoured a prudent 4-5-1 approach which had Ryan Darmanin as its attacking spearhead.
Valletta did most of the early running but after 10 minutes, Floriana mounted an isolated raid on their opponents' fort. A long pass from midfield invited Ryan Darmanin to stride forward but Andrew Hogg rushed out of goal to intercept the Floriana forward.
The loose ball fell to Marlon Briffa who stormed past the Valletta goalkeeper but the Floriana winger was eventually closed down by Luke Dimech.
In their next foray, Valletta opened the scoring. Gilbert Agius charged towards the byline and crossed towards the far post where Priso volleyed the ball across the six-yard box and into the path of Roderick Briffa who blasted home. The hundreds of City fans who made their way to the National Stadium were in seventh heaven. Their joy increased four minutes later when Agius put them 2-0 up with a low shot from an angled position.
City remained in ascendancy. On 24 minutes, Briffa made a dazzling run before releasing Terrence Scerri. The towering forward lofted the ball into the goalmouth where Briffa dived backward to produce an excellent acrobatic volley that whistled past the near post.
Scerri then headed wide from Briffa's cross as Valletta's siege continued as their fans chanted 'we want more'.
Their calls were answered in emphatic fashion as the Citizens tripled their lead on 34 minutes with a magnificent goal.
Agius advanced through the middle before guiding the ball to Priso just outside the box. The Cameroonian winger held off his marker before laying the ball off to the steaming Kevin Sammut who unleashed a stupendous volley that soared above Micallef and into the net.
Four minutes from half-time, Valletta made it 4-0. The dynamic Edmond Agius jinked his way into the box before hitting a shot that was repelled by Clifton Ciantar but the loose ball fell to Scerri who rifled it into the net.
In first-half stoppage time, Dimech headed just over from Agius's service.
Eleven minutes into the second half, Micallef fumbled a Scerri shot but recovered to dispossess the City forward. Seconds later, the post came to Micallef's rescue as Agius's shot cannoned off the upright.
Despite making two substitutions at the start of the second half, Floriana just could not get going. On 65 minutes, Steve Borg's long throw was headed on to Sammut at the far post and the latter's attempt diverted goalward by Sunday Akanni-Wasiu, yesterday deployed in midfield, but the ball rebounded off the woodwork.
With 18 minutes remaining, Borg's header from Briffa's corner was hooked off the line by Ciantar.
Cleaven Frendo, out since March with a cruciate injury, came on for Briffa five minutes from time to the clear satisfaction of the City supporters.
Floriana
J. Micallef-3, D. Pisani-4, C. Ciantar-6.5, O. Anonam-5, B. Said-5, S. Akanni-Wasiu-5, R. Darmanin-5, M. Spiteri-4 ('46 C. Caruana-5), M. Briffa-4, J. Borg-4, C. Borg-4 ('46 J. Brincat-4).
Valletta
A. Hogg-7, S. Borg-7, S. Bezzina-6, L. Dimech-6.5, K. Scicluna-6.5, E. Agius-7, K. Sammut-7.5, G. Agius-7 ('65 S. Giglio-6), T. Scerri-6, D. Priso-6.5 ('46 D. Falzon-5.5), R. Briffa-7 ('84 C. Frendo).
Referee Alan Mario Sant.
Yellow cards Priso; Akanni-Wasiu; Caruana; Giglio; E. Agius.
BOV player of the match Kevin Sammut (Valletta).