Floriana - 0, Valletta- 4

The Boxing Day derby between Valletta and Floriana unfolded into a one-sided affair as the Citizens trounced their depleted rivals 4-0 to stay within striking distance of leaders Qormi.

Valletta had the three points safely sewn up by the 36th minute as Ton Caanen’s men surged into a three-goal lead.

Roderick Briffa fired them ahead after 12 minutes with a first-time shot after Doding Priso had guided Gilbert Agius’s cross across the six-yard box.

Four minutes later, Agius, the Valletta captain, doubled his team’s lead with a low drive from a somewhat tight angle.

With the City fans calling for more, Kevin Sammut made it 3-0 with an excellent first-time shot after receiving from Priso.

Four minutes from half-time, Terrence Scerri joined the goal rush when blasting the ball home from close range after Clifton Ciantar had cleared Kevin Sammut’s shot off the line.

Valletta eased off in the second half but they still went close to scoring a couple of times. Floriana’s Sunday Akanni-Wasiu deflected Sammut’s flick onto the bar and Clifton Ciantar cleared Steve Borg’s header off the line.

Kevin Sammut, the Valletta midfielder, was named player of the match.