Sliema Wanderers emerged on top from a five-goal encounter with relegation strugglers Tarxien Rainbows.
In a hard-fought clash that resembled a relegation scrap, Tarxien twice fought back from a goal down but Trevor Cilia's goal sealed three precious points for the Wanderers who have now moved seven points clear of the Rainbows.
Sliema enjoyed a perfect lift-off as Pedrinho fired them ahead after just five minutes, beating Tarxien goalkeeper Jonathan Debono with a rising shot.
Tarxien replied through stand-in captain Carlos Hevia Menendez who jinked his way into the box but his effort was wide.
The Rainbows were back on level terms in the seventh minute.
Carlinos, as Menendez is more commonly known, supplied a perfect assist to fellow Spaniard Vallecillo who turned the ball home from close in.
Buoyed by their equaliser, Tarxien were now dictating matters but Sliema improved as the first half moved on.
Around the 20th minute mark, Pedrinho's corner was met by Marko Potezica but the Serbian's header was blocked.
Sliema regained their lead three minutes past the half-hour.
John Mintoff's cross from the right sailed into the six-yard box where the unmarked Mark Scerri headed goalwards. Debono, the Tarxien goalkeeper, saved the first attempt but Scerri nodded home from the rebound.
Trevor Cilia had a great chance to increase Sliema's lead but fired wide from a good position.
Tarxien coach Clive Mizzi brought on Spanish winger Jorge Yepes for Obinna at the start of the second half.
Tarxien stepped up their game.
Twenty minutes into the second half, the woodwork came to Sliema's rescue as Carlinos' header hit the crossbar from Aboulezz's cross. The loose ball reached Yepes whose low effort was parried away by Zammit.
Tarxien's improvement paid off midway into the second half as Aboulezz, retrieving a pass from the right, moved past Mintoff and shot low into the net.
The game became more exciting.
Sliema needed only two minutes to restore their lead as, in a counter-attack, Bocar set up the sprinting Cilia who hammered past Debono.
Tarxien might have levelled matters but Mouhamed's close-range effort sailed past the upright after taking a deflection.
With 12 minutes remaining, Mouhamed was wide with a curlimng drive from outside the box before Zammit pushed away Yepes's angled drive.
Bocar had a golden chance to kill off Tarxien but his scrambled effort was diverted away for a corner after the Portuguese had received from Michael Mifsud.
The Malta captain, back after a long lay-off, then produced a trademark run that took him past three players but he drifted too wide and Debono rushed out to defuse the danger.
Deep into stoppage time, Sliema goalkeeper Zammit denied Tarxien an equaliser when pushing Vallecillo's screamer over the bar.
Scerri, the Sliema midfielder, was named BOV player of the match.