Goals from Rafael Ledesma in the first half and Liliu in the second, gave Birkirkara victory over Valletta and put the Stripes back on track, consolidating their second place in the BoV Premier League standings.

Birkirkara's win was a deserved one as they deflated their opponents through sheer willpower and industry, especially from their midfielders.

Birkirkara started the match seven points behind leaders Hibernians. Valletta were a further five points adrift. Neither side could afford to drop more points to keep up the pace and the manner of Valletta's defeat will sting as much as the consequences. It was yet another weak display, with little pace or appetite from players lacking the required confidence.

Both sides were back in action after suffering embarassing defeats. Valletta coach Gilbert Agius, with Ivan Zammit appointed as the club's technical director since, deemed it fit to make four changes to the side that lost to Pieta Hotspurs. Joanathan Caruana and Steve Borg returned in defence, with Hugo Faria and Shaun Bajada back in midfield. Ian Azzopardi, Adrian Zahra, Llywelyn Cremona and Luke Montebello made way.

Birkirkara also made a couple of changes after defeat against Tarxien Rainbows. They dropped Eliandro Gonzaga and Edmond Agius, giving starts to Alexander Mendoza and Ryan Camenzuli.

Valletta looked more enterprising in the opening stages. Alex Terra advanced from the right, shooting against the side netting before being forced to leave the pitch midway through the half, making way for Lateef Alliyu.

By then Birkirkara, a direct and physically imposing side, had already started to take a stranglehold on the match. After 19 minutes, following a Birkirkara corner from the left, the ball bounced dangerously inside the Valletta area. Mendoza's final effort was footed out with difficulty by keeper Vella.

Past the half hour Birkirkara made the breakthrough. They were awarded a dangerous free kick from outside the Valletta area on the left and Rafael Ledsema bent the ball around the Valletta wall to beat keeper Vella at the low left-hand side.

Valletta struggled to defend on set pieces. On 40 minutes, Liliu arrived fractionally late on another inswinging Ledesma free kick from the right, that had beaten the entire Valletta rearguard.

The Citizens were lucky to be only one goal down at halftime. Shortly before the break, keeper Vella fumbled a low Herrera cross from the right. Camenzuli almost capitalised but thumped his shot against the bar.

But the Stripes' swagger looked to have been sucked away from them as Valletta mounted some sustained pressure in the opening quarter hour of the second half. Valletta won several corners with long balls down the channels and crosses into the box for Alliyu. They needed a poacher to finsih the job and that came in the form of Abdelkarim Nafti's introduction for Ryan Fenech.

But  when an equaliser was looking the more likely next goal, Birkirkara doubled their advantage on 65 minutes. Scicluna ran through the flimsy Valletta defence, outplayed keeper Vella and let the ball run invitingly to Liliu to slot it in.

Valletta strained to get a foothold back in the game. Their play was intricate, and Birkirkara's defensive and midfield blocks presented a formidable barrier.

The only noteworthy episide for the remaining minutes  was the return of Nigerian forward Shola Shodiya for Birkirkara, going in as a substitute for Ledesma to give his side more attacking options in the forthcoming fixtures. Hibernians are up next for Birkirkara.

Balzan and Pieta Hotspurs took a point apiece in a low-key match that never reached high levels of excitement.

 In fact there seemed to be a level of rueful disappointment from both sides at the end.

Balzan could have been in charge in the first half as they created a string of chances, but they were punished for their sluggishness with Pieta's stunning goal early in the second half and then had to fight back to salvage a point .

This second consecutive draw leaves Balzan in third place, three points behind Birkirkara and a good seven  adrift of leaders Hibernians as they have collected only two points from their last three league outings.

This was another encouraging  performances that lifts Pieta's spirits with their young  lads hitting the ground running with every passing game.

The Hotspurs created very few opportunities throughout the match yesterday but were always a threat going forward. Besides they were nice and compact without the ball, solid rather than inventive, to frustarte their opponents time and again. To their demerit, they were unable to hold on to their lead and surrendered it too early.

The game swung on a key four-minute spell leading up to Pieta's opener early in the second half and Balzan's immediate equaliser.

To celebrate the FARE campaign, players and officials lined up wearing anti-discrimination T-shirts while announcements related to this theme were delivered prior to yesterday's matches.

Pieta were bereft of their matchwinner against Valletta, Xavier Zacarias and Joa Gabriel was detailed to plough a lone furrow in their attack instead.

Defending in numbers, the Hotspurs tried to contain their more offensive opponents as Balzan attacked with Gianmarco Piccioni through the middle, flanked by Oscar Guerrero and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.

Balzan looked more menacing after a mundane first quarter hour, with Guerrero showing good touches from the byeline on the left, his cut-back cross towards Piccioni had the latter's effort taking a wicked deflection, skimming the upright for a corner.

Midway through the half, Fortunato blocked Piccioni's progress inside the Pieta area  and on the half hour, Mifsud Triganza ran dangerously down the right. His low cross from the byeline was cleared by the crowded Pieta defence.

Pieta, who were being exposed on both flanks, were forced to substitute the injured Terence Agius on 37 minutes. And five minutes later suffered a second setback when their most creative player, Claudio Frances also limped off.

Balzan went closest with Mifsud Triganza' goalbound effort, picking Guerrero's low cross from the left, cleared off the line by the Pieta central defender Christian Grech.

Balzan were handed a warning soon after the restart as substitute Luke Micallef gallopped down the right but keeper Sultana turned his shot smartly into a corner.

It got worse for Balzan on 51 minutes when the spirited Pieta broke away from a Guerrero corner, with four of their players attacking two Balzan men at the back. Dylon Agius passed the ball neatly to Pisani, who outpaced Zarate and evaded the onrushing keeper, leaving Luke Micallef to steer the ball into an unattended goal.

But it took Balzan only four minutes to restore equilibrium. The damage was done by Lydon Micallef who ran inside the Pieta area with alarming ease, his shot was repelled by keeper Cassar as far as Edison Zarate who blasted the ball in from close range.

For a few successive minutes, Balzan hinted to turning the tables in their favour and a Guerrero powerful shot was held out by keeper Cassar.

But for the rest of an uneventful half hour, the stalemete prevailed.

 

Reports Silvio Vella, Photographs Jonathan Borg