Floriana could manage only a draw against resolute Hamrun Spartans although the Greens dominated most of the game.
Helped by a penalty in the opening half, Hamrun held on to defend a point after Floriana had levelled matters soon after the restart. Floriana remain in fifth place on equal points with Valletta, while Hamrun move into seventh, above Tarxien Rainbows and level with Gziar United on eight points.
For the most part, Floriana were the better, stronger smarter and largely dominant team but failed to take three points, credit also to Hamrun's defending, especially from stalwart Sergio Raphael and keeper David Cassar.
The bite of the Floriana midfield was too much for Hamrun, who were overawed by the magnificent Nicolas Chiesa, undoubtedly the man of the match.
Floriana coach Giovanni Tedesco kept the same players who beat Valletta in the derby except for Mario Fontanella starting instead of Amadou Samb.
Hamrun's coach Steve D'Amato started with Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza to support Haruna Garba in attack, replaced Christian Maldini with Glenn Azzopardi in defence and gave a start to Saturday Nanapere in midfield as Guisti was relegated to the bench.
The match was off to a cagey start with many passes going astray. After 18 minutes, Hamrun threatened when Nanapere lofted the ball over the Floriana backline for Garba to control inside the area. But keeper Haber blocked at his feet.
On the half hour Grech's free kick from outside the area was handled by the Floriana wall and the Spartans were awarded the penalty which Jake Grech himself tucked away to put Hamrun in the lead.
After that, both teams continued to find momentum elusive, contributing very little in the final third.
Aware that Floriana needed a spark, coach Tedesco put in Samb for Vella at halftime.
Within five minutes, Floriana were level. Nicolas Chiesa nipped in from behind to meet Steve Pisani's cross from the right and hit low past keeper Cassar.
Hamrun tried to react. Mifsud Triganza had a shot well saved by Floriana keeper Haber.
And as both sides became stretched, with too much space in midfield, Chiesa's shot on the turn from inside the area was cleared off the line by Azzopardi.
Hamrun retreated inside their own half, defending grimly and footing the ball upfield by default, in the hope of reaching Garba.
The Hamrun forward was often shackled by Ruiz or Monticelli.
Hamrun needed reinforcements and put in Darren Falzon for Mifsud Triganza on 74 minutes.
In a frantic finale, Floriana were all over their opponents in search of a winner. The Hamrun defence looked in disarray, trtying to hold water.
Susbtitute Brooke Farrugia forced keeperCassar to stretch himself and palm out his grounder.
Hamrun, now struggling to get the ball forward, found space to counter. On 86 minutes, after good work by Giusti, Grech shot slightly wide.
On the other end, Chiesa brought another smart save from keeper Cassar.
Floriana continued to deliver a series of menacing crosses mostly through Chiesa and Steve Pisani without managing to pick Samb and Fontanella as Sergio Raphael was a towering figure in the air.
Hard as Floriana fought for a winner, Hamrun stood tall to salvage a point that looked beyond them for all Floriana's efforts in the second half.
Hamrun S: D. Cassar, P. Chircop, G. Azzopardi, H. Garba, S. Raphael, L. Sciberras, S. Nanapere (P. Texeira), L. Motta (M. Giusti), J. Grech, M. Neto, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (D. Falzon)
Floriana: J. Haber, A. Monticelli (B. Farrugia), E. Pepe, E. Ruiz, S. Pisani, M. Vella, M.Fontanella, J. Pisani, A. Cini, A, N. Chiesa, R. Camenzuli (C. Borg)
Referee: P.Farrugia
Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, M. Scerri
4th official: M. Apap
Scorers: J. Grech 30 pen
Yellow cards: A. Monticelli, H. Garba, D. Falzon
Player of the match: N. Chiesa (Floriana)
TMI top 3: 1. N. Chiesa 2. A. Monticelli 3. S. Raphael
Attendance: 926
Photos: Domenic Aquilina
Birkirkara succumb to their second defeat
Pembroke 2 Birkirkara 1
Before the beginning of the match, it seemed that Birkirkara were ready to clinch their fifth win of the campaign, leaving Pembroke empty handed again. But football is not played on paper, as the Athleta managed to defy the odds, beating Birkirkara 2-1, claiming their first win and also their first points.
On the other hand, Birkirkara lost their second game of the league in a similar fashion that they lost to Sliema, as like Pembroke, Sliema also were searching their first points.
Pembroke's performance was brilliant as they shared the game with their opponents, despite having to defend for most of the game. Barbetti was instrumental in midfield, while Scozzese, Levnaic and Borg controlled the defensive sector, with Siraj Arab and Mano Micallef running through the right side.
Coach Winston Muscat made three changes from their last defeat as Maksymov and Djeljilj started instead of Manevski and Attard, while Matthew Calleja Cremona was preferred in goal before veteran Mario Muscat.
On the other hand, Birkirkara coach Besek made no less than five changes from the team that beat Mosta. Steve Bonnici, Edward Herrera and Shaun Bajada started instead of Predrag Jovic, Joseph Zerafa and Cain Attard while Ryan Scicluna and Vito Plut started in the first 11, replacing Gareth Sciberras and Rowen Muscat.
Pembroke created the first danger after ten minutes with a diagonal shot by Mano Micallef that finished off target.
Birkirkara's first threat came just after 24 minutes when from a corner by Bajada, Steve Bonnici rose above his opponents but failed to hit the net, as his header finished over the bar.
Winston Muscat's team came close ten minutes from the break as Kopric had to turn into a corner, a header by Djeljilj. But a minute later, Pembroke took the lead as Djeljilj crossed from the left side where he found Adrian Borg who slotted the ball into the net after he took advantage from an indecision by Kopric.
Birkirkara didn't make a reaction till the end of the first half, and Pembroke went also close to a second goal just before the end of the first 45 minutes. It was a free-kick by Barbetti that found Andrea Scozzese who headed the ball in the direction of goal, but Kopric managed to tip the effort, with the ball also hitting the post.
Birkirkara were a bit better after the break and on the 53rd minute, Scicluna crossed to Djordjevic who headed on goal, but the effort didn't trouble Calleja Cremona.
On the 58th minute, Calleja Cremona had to tip away a dangerous cross-shot by Srdan Dimitrov. But on the hour mark, Birkirkara equalised through a brilliant goal by Frank Temile who gave no chance to Calleja Cremona with a powerful left foot shot from the edge of the box.
Despite the goal conceded, Pembroke kept their heads in the game and on the 65th minute, they could have regained the lead after a good run on the right by Siraj Arab. He crossed a low ball to Bernardo Mariano but he missed the chance to conclude from an ideal position. Barbetti caught Kopric off-guard a minute later, and tried a shot from half the pitch but the Birkirkara goalkeeper managed to save in time.
Pembroke's second goal arrived on the 68th minute as Bernardo Mariano finished a personal action on the right side and, without being tackled, beat Kopric with a shot in his left corner.
This goal seemed to freeze Birkirkara as despite playing the last 25 minutes of the game on the attack, they couldn't threaten the opponents' post with a serious action, as Pembroke managed to hold on to claim their first win.
Pembroke: M. Calleja Cremona, B. Muscat, Z. Levnaic, A. Scozzese, A. Borg, M. Micallef, O. Maksymov, P. Barbetti, A. Djeljilj, B. Mariano (L. Montebello 85’), S. Eddin Arab (D. Fenech 76’)
Birkirkara: M. Kopric, E. Herrera (G. Sciberras 64’), S. Bonnici, N. Vukanac, S. Bajada (C. Attard 70’), M. Andelkovic, R. Scicluna, D. Djordjevic (J. Brincat 57’), S. Dimitrov, F. Temile, V. Plut
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri
Assistent Referees: William Debattista, Chris Azzopardi
4th Official: Stefan Pace
Scorers: A. Borg 36’, B. Mariano 90’ (P), F. Temile 60’ (B)
Yellow Cards: D. Djordjevic 5’ (B), A. Scozzese 9’, A. Borg 31’, B. Muscat 90’ (P)
BOV Player of the match: Paltemio Barbetti (Pembroke Athleta)
Attendance: 531