Valletta 4
Priso 39, 42 pen.;Falzon 49; Briffa 72
Birkirkara 1
Dimitrov-Mihaylov 14
A goal down after barely 14 minutes and with injury having already taken away one of their most in-form players in Brazilian striker Paulo Massaro, the omens looked anything but encouraging for Valletta.
A showdown with rivals Birkirkara, their fourth and final meeting this season, was always regarded as potentially tricky test for the title-chasing champions, what with memories of the Stripes' 3-1 win a just over a month ago still vivid in the minds of the City players and fans.
With Hibs having opened up a four-point gap at the top after their 2-0 defeat of Floriana last weekend, the onus was indeed on the champions to keep up their pursuit of the leaders. True to their never-say-die reputation, Valletta responded to adversity with a resolute performance that swept Birkirkara off their feet as the final 4-1 scoreline amply illustrates.
Doding Priso, the man charged with the responsibility of filling Massaro's boots, led their comeback charge, the Cameroon striker hitting a brace to ease his side's nerves and erect the platform for another imperious display by the champions who have now trimmed the gap on the Paolites to just one point.
As for the raucuous City fans, this was another exhilarating evening, their unrelenting backing a key ingredient of their team's success yesterday.
The title race thus remains alive and on this evidence, it would take a very brave man to bet against Valletta taking the issue to the wire. Although their post-match celebrations were justified, given the manner of their victory yesterday, the Citizens still have plenty of work to do to reach their title mission.
Roderick Briffa and Luke Dimech were restored to Valletta's starting formation after suspension kept them out of the 3-0 victory over Sliema Wanderers.
Josef Mifsud, who had a positive outing against Sliema, had to make do with a place on the bench. Valletta coach Paul Zammit decided not to take risks with Ian Zammit who was named among the substitutes after an Achilles problem restricted his training ahead of yesterday's match.
As expected, Shawn Bajada and Paul Fenech were assigned starting roles after both were left out of John Buttigieg's starting XI for the 3-1 defeat of Floriana. Midfielder Alan Tabone had to watch proceedings from the stands after receiving a one-match ban.
Valletta suffered an early setback when Massaro picked up a knee injury after his boot got stuck in the turf. Massaro was carried off on a stretcher after medical personnel deemed that he was unfit to continue. His place was taken by Priso who entered the fray on 12 minutes.
The Citizens were still coming to terms with Massaro's premature exit when Birkirkara increased their early troubles by taking the lead, Joseph Zerafa was afforded time and space to advance down the left before lofting the ball towards Kirill Dimitrov-Mihaylov who glanced his header past Nicky Vella.
Valletta were stung into action, Priso charged clear on the right but his cut-back just eluded Dyson Falzon. On 18 minutes, Briffa swung over a dipping cross from the right and Falzon's header cannoned off the crossbar. The ball landed in the path of Priso whose shot-on-the-turn whizzed just wide of the near post.
The initial exchanges ought to have eradicated any thoughts Valletta may have had of an easy outing against the fired-up Stripes.
Buttigieg flagged up his attacking intentions by fielding a two-pronged attack of Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Dimitrov-Mihaylov as Michael Galea was excluded from the starting team.
Until his early withdrawal, Massaro had been Valletta's attacking spearhead with Gilbert Agius operating in the proverbial hole between the middle sector and attack. Priso took up the main striking role for Valletta after Massaro's departure.
As the first half wore on, the frequency of scoring chances decreased but the exchanges remained combative.
Edmund Agius skewed his shot wide from the edge of the area but six minutes from the break, the former Hibs midfielder set up his side's equaliser. Agius drifted into the box before serving Priso who evaded Bernard Paris and poked the ball home.
The force was with Valletta now. With the numerous City fans now singing their hearts out, their team kept their foot on the gas pedal.
Valletta's delight increased when, four minutes before the break, they were awarded a penalty after Trevor Cilia was adjudged to have upended Falzon in the box. Priso assumed responsibility for the penalty and drove a low shot into the bottom-right corner to put the champions in front.
The white-shirted players carried where they had left off in the final stages of the first half when the game restarted after half-time. Captain Gilbert Agius almost scored direct from a corner but his curler ricocheted off the crossbar.
Birkirkara sighed with relief but theirs was a temporary reprieve as, with four minutes of the second half gone, Valletta increased their lead. Falzon hit a diagonal shot that jagged off Hartvig and soared past the wrong-footed Hartvig.
Birkirkara's attacking threat had been negligible for much of the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Fenech briefly interrupted City's dominance with a long-range effort that finished off target.
For a short period, the match was littered by a series of miscued passed and scrappy touches amid Birkirkara's rising efforts to pile the pressure on their rivals.
Valletta would have made it 4-1 with 20 minutes left were it not for the woodwork. Briffa passed to Edmund Agius who freed Priso inside the box but the latter's scorcher crashed against the inside of the far post.
With 18 minutes left, the Whites extended their lead. And what a goal it was as Briffa set off a dazzling run on the right, leaving a posse of players in his wake as he drifted into the box before rifling his shot past Paris. Game over.
Valletta
N. Vella-6, J. Grioli-6.5, K. Scicluna-6, L. Dimech-6, S. Bezzina-6 ('84 J. Mifsud), E. Agius-6, R. Briffa-7.5, J. Pace-7.5, G. Agius-6.5, P. Massaro ('12 D. Priso-8), D. Falzon-6.5 ('76 I. Zammit).
Birkirkara
B. Paris-4, T. Paris-4, S. Bajada-5 ('67 M. Galea-4), J. Zerafa-5.5, R. Hartvig-5, P. Fenech-4, I. Sokolov-4 ('83 M. Di Lello), G. Mallia-5, T. Cilia-5, J.P. Mifsud Triganza-5 ('76 L. Sciberras), K. Dimitrov-Mihaylov-5.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Yellow cards: Sokolov; Dimech; G. Agius.
BoV player of the match: Priso Doding (Valletta).