VALLETTA-                 2

NAXXAR LIONS-        0

Valletta ensured their winless run ended after slips against Pieta Hotspurs and Birkirkara as goals from Raphael Kooh Sohna and Shaun Bajada towards the end of each half restored smiles to the faces of the Valletta fans yesterday.

They now catch up with Qormi and Mosta on the 13-point mark, still a distant 12 from leaders Hibernians.

This win eases some pressure from the champions, who still need to show improvement in their performances. Some profligacy meant they made heavier work than they should have done against unimpressive Naxxar and the champions were guilty of losing their focus in the second half after Hugo Faria's dismissal for a second caution.

Naxxar are still without a league win in this campaign and new coach Jesmond Zerafa  will know his side need to find a cutting edge after failing to really trouble their opponents during the opening half, and rarely threatening after playing with an extra man for a whole 35 minutes. Well organised and industrious, they have again proven short of penetration.

Valletta had Luke Dimech suspended and Steve Borg moved into central defence with Ian Azzopardi given the nod as left back. Raphael  Kooh Sohna replaced Lateef Alliyu in attack while  Abdel Karim Nafti started the match and Shaun Bajada was exiled to the bench, only to go in as a late substitute and score his side's assuring goal.

Naxxar, still looking for their first league win this season, were handicapped by the absence of their suspended defender Andrew Scicluna.

Valletta's intricate passing in the early stages failed to break down Naxxar's drilled defence where the towering presence of Ibok Edet and David Reano in central defence, kept them at bay.

Fenech lobbed the ball over the Naxxar keeper from the byeline but Edet cleared before Kooh Sohna could connect.

Naxxar could threaten towards the quarter hour when Ribeiro's low cross cut the entire Valletta rearguard to put Falzon clear but the latter's effort missed the target by a whisker.

Surviving this scare, Valletta pulled up their socks. Kooh Sohna's shot from the edge of the Naxxar area brought a smart save from keeper  Azzopardi into a corner. Kooh Sohna's incursion inside the Naxxar six-yard box was blocked by keeper Azzopardi as Valletta started to mount some sustained pressure.

The Citizens were nearly caught on the hop by a Naxxar break on 34 minutes, with arguably the best chance of the first half. Gueye connected well on a Falzon cross from ther right and his first timer from inside the area was turned over the bar into a corner by keeper Vella.

With Valletta taking the grip between their teeth once again, a Kooh Sohna looping header, when challenged by Edet, forced keeper Azzopardi to effect an acrobatic save, tipping the ball over the bar.

Valletta took a deserved lead five minutes before the interval. Keeper Azzopardi, slightly off his line, was rendered helpless on Kooh Sohna's flick after picking Nafti's cross.

There were few clear cut chances in the second half, mostly because Valletta retreated inside their own half after Portuguese midfielder Faria was sent off five minutes after the interval. Faria's second bookable offence on Ribeiro earned him his dismissal but Naxxar toiled to exploit their numerical superiority. They only went close three minutes later when Ryan Cassar's through pass fell to Gueye on the right but his low cross towards teh middle found no takers.

The Lions put in Victor Bellia and Uchenna Emenike for the last 20 minutes as Valletta withdrew Nafti and Kooh Sohna. By the 78th minute, they ended up with no foreigner on the pitch as Llywelyn Cremona replaced Hamza Barry.

In a final frantic minutes, that belied the mundanity of the rest of the half, Naxxar twice went close to an equaliser. Emenike's effort from a corner was cleared off the line by Borg and only the Valletta keeper's alertness denied Naxxar again as he tipped a Reano rising shot over the bar.

But on the stroke of full time Valletta doubled their lead. Substitute Shaun Bajada curled his free kick, from 25 metres out, around the Naxxar wall to beat the helpless keeper Azzopardi and secure the points.

SLIEMA WANDERERS-  0 

BALZAN FC-                   0

This was a dreary non-event, proof that not even the presence of the likes of Oscar Guerrero, Gianmarco Piccioni, Kassa Gnabouyou or Michael Mifsud's  can guarantee an eventful game in our domestic league.

By half-time the small crowd present at Victor Tedesco Stadium was practically falling asleep as Sliema Wanderers and Balzan produced a drab goalless draw.

With their third draw on the trot, Balzan  missed the chance to catch up on Birkirkara in second place as the Wanderers now join three other teams in fourth place.

Sliema's most likely source of inspiration yesterday came from captain Mark Scerri who put yet another bold display with his distribution and running frrom midfield, well aided by the technical but slow Andrea Pisanu.

Sliema were forced to field a makeshift defence with Stefano Biancardi injured and Clifford Gatt Baldacchino suspended. They gave starts to Andrea Scozzese and Marko Potezica as the two central defenders. Michael Mifsud returned in attack, after missing the match against Mosta, with Filippo Telato relegated to the bench.

Gianmarco Piccioni was unable to hold a commanding presence in Balzan's attack which lacked punch. But, with Edsion Zarate apart, their midfield lacked any inventive yesterday and were outpalyed by their opponents in that sector.

Balzan, on their part, made two changes after a draw against Pieta Hotspurs. Luke Sciberras and Samir Arab replaced Lydon Micallef and Clive Brincat in their starting line-up.

The first half was best forgotten for both sides in a cagey 45 minutes, during which Sliema created a couple of half chances through a tame Potezica  header and a Ciia shot, which narrowly missed the target, after making progression inside the Balzan area.

Balzan produced almost nothing before the interval. They had claims for a penalty turned down after 37 minutes for Martinelli's alleged handling on a Mifsud Triganza cross and just before the break, Mifsud Triganza himself advanced from half pitch past several Sliema players but his low diagonal shot went tantalisingly wide.

Unfortunately things did not improve much in the second half as both sides continued to fluff the few chances they created. Towards the hour, Piccioni put Guerrero through inside the Sliema area but the Brazilian shot feebly in keeper Bonello's safe hands.

Scozzese headed Cilia's corner wide for Sliema and Scerri exchanged the ball with Mifsud but blazed the ball over the Balzan goal.

The game briefly came to life on 73 minutes, with Sliema going close as Scozzese flicked the ball forward for Mifsud to shoot against the bar and Gnabouyou's effort on the rebound was blocked by keeper Sultana.

Immediately on the other end Piccioni's shot was held out by the Sliema keeper Bonello.

A lull in proceedings followed and the stalemate prevailed till the end.