It was a very important weekend for the top clubs as the second round of the first phase got off with a flurry of goals. In fact, 20 were scored in the five matches played which has seen the standings altering considerably at both ends.

After their precious win over Sliema, Hibs have now joined the Wanderers on top and Birkirkara are now just two points behind the co-leaders, courtesy of their 2-0 win over Valletta.

Msida confirmed their status as a top contender for the Championship Pool with an easy 4-1 win over Mosta, while Marsaxlokk also made a bold step towards achieving their aim – a top six finish at the end of the first round – thanks to their narrow 4-3 win over Hamrun.

Floriana finally registered their first win of the season, beating Pieta 3-1, but for Valletta, it was again a miserable weekend as they suffered a second defeat to Birkirkara this season.

The top match was the Hibs-Sliema clash and here, the Paolites made their intentions clear as they adopted the better tactics and showed stronger determination than the Wanderers to achieve their victory, thus tasting sweet revenge for the first round 0-3 defeat.

Robert Gatt’s boys, inspired by a brilliant Mario Muscat in goal, played impeccably all the way, even though Sliema contrived to miss some good scoring chances.

The Wanderers have now suffered a second consecutive defeat. And not all appears to look rosy as it was, perhaps, three weeks ago.

In fact, in their last five encounters, the Blues were considered somewhat lucky to have obtained their wins, most of which materialising in the closing moments.

In this match, Hibernians simply confirmed their potential that they are a strong title contender. With Doda finally finding his pace and settling down well in his new surroundings, I am sure that more pleasant moments are in store for the club’s numerous supporters.

As for Sliema, they now need a victory badly to recover from their current slump and the forthcoming fixture against Hamrun Spartans could be the right opportunity for the team to return to winning form.

The Stripes are once again among the front runners after they beat Valletta and Sliema lost to Hibs. They are now just two points away from the co-leaders and, on current form, they could be able to present a very tough challenge to both Hibernians and Sliema at the top of the standings.

Their defeat of Valletta on Friday was deserved as they showed supremacy right from the very first whistle. For the Stripes, apart from showing they are becoming more consistent, it was also proof that Michael Galea was back to his old scoring touch with two great goals which sank the citizens.

The defeat provided Valletta with more misery as they now remain on 11 points in sixth place, just ahead of Pieta on goal difference. It is obvious that Valletta will have to fight harder in this second round to avoid the troubles of last season, when they had to play in the Relegation Pool.

Msida remained firmly in fourth place, one point ahead of Marsaxlokk, after disposing easily of bottom-placed Mosta.

The Saints also tasted sweet revenge for their surprise first round defeat (1-2), but the red card received by midfielder Roderick Bajada near the end marred their splendid victory.

For Mosta, it will be an uphill fight against relegation and, already, it is becoming even more obvious that they will be prime contenders for a Relegation Pool place.

Marsaxlokk were on the brink of losing some precious point or points against the Spartans, but at the end, they emerged on top in a seven-goal thriller.

Ray Farrugia’s side came back from being 2-0 and 3-1 down to clinch victory which keeps them in fifth place on 15 points, just one behind Msida St Joseph.

The southern seasiders, however, still fail to convince, and it had to be some defensive lapses by the Spartans which saw them through on Sunday afternoon.

The Spartans seemed to be on the right track as their first led 2-0 and then 3-1 but they allowed their opponents back into the game by conceding two goals in the worst moments – just before the interval and soon after the changeover.

However, it seems that the Spartans are well equipped to fight for a place in the top six, if they continue to show improvement in this second round.

Floriana’s first victory of the season, against Pieta, may spark a recovery by this once-famous side which collected only six points so far.

The Greens will definitely need to maintain their new-found enthusiasm if they are to lift themselves further up from the bottom rungs of the standings.

Pieta Hotspurs must be considered as an enigma. The previous week, they beat the leaders. This time, they fell victims to Floriana who, before this match, were occupying the bottom placing.

Georgi Deanov’s side fell apart to the Greens in the second half as they came back from being a goal in arrears at the interval, to score three in the last 16 minutes, two of them from Adrian Mifsud, who has finally regained his scoring touch.

Player of the Week

Mario Muscat (Hibernians)

The Hibernians’ custodian is my pick this weekend after his five-star display in the match against Sliema.

His saves and good anticipation thwarted Sliema on many an occasion on Saturday afternoon. He certainly inspired his team-mates towards a very important win which has put the side at the top of the standings, jointly with the Wanderers.

If anything, Muscat has showed one and all that he is still a top class goalkeeper, despite being dropped from the national squad in the last few months.

The top scorers

8 – M. Galea (Birkirkara), D. Nwoke (Msida), G. Spiteri (Hamrun)

7 – D. Doncic (Sliema), D. Bogdanovic (Sliema), A. Cohen (Hibernians), C. Frendo (Marsaxlokk)

6 – M. Deanov (Pieta),

5 – W. Gomes (Marsaxlokk), T. Scerri, D. Camilleri (Hibernians), M. Okoro (Hamrun S.)

4 – I. Woods (Sliema), U. Nwoko (Mosta), I. Zammit (Valletta), R. Bajada (Msida SJ).

Next matches

At Victor Tedesco Stadium

Sunday 20 November

12.45pm, Mosta-Marsaxlokk

2.45pm, Hamrun S.-Sliema W.

At Ta’ Qali Stadium

Sunday 3 December

2pm Birkirkara-Msida SJ

4pm Floriana-Valletta

Sunday 4 December

12.45pm Sliema W.-Mosta

2.45pm Hibernians-Pieta H.