Valletta obtained some rare glory in an otherwise disap‐ pointing season as they managed to beat second‐placed Gzira United to give a helping hand to runaway leaders Hamrun Spar‐ tans who are now just one point away from clinching their ninth league title.

Valletta played one of their best matches this season, but the Ma‐ roons could have still taken at least a point, but a penalty missed in the second half could have turned the outcome of this issue.

Gzira had a better start and after six minutes Valletta goal‐ keeper Formosa made a great save off a Jackson Mendoza header. On 14 minutes Valletta broke the deadlock almost against the run of play when Shaun Dimech served Kilian Bevis who from an acute angle fired low into the net past Zarkov.

Fifteen minutes later Gzira went close with a Nikolai Muscat just sailing over the bar. On 32 minutes Manuel Maia missed a sitter in front of goal with only Formosa to beat.

Three minutes into the second half A Brandon Paiber effort was blocked by Zarkov and sixty sec‐ onds later the Maroons won a penalty when Peña Beltran tripped Mendoza inside the area. But from the resultant penalty Valletta custodian Formosa brought the house down saving Manuel Maia’s effort from th penalty spot.. This was a severe blow for the Maroons who con‐ tinued to attack with a Mendoza drive going inches wide.

At the other end a good Valletta move with Zammit serving Bevis who was stopped by a desperate sortie by goalkeeper Zarkov. Five minutes past the hour a Dias cross was met by substitute Rib‐ era whose header just missed the target. On 77 minutes it was the Citizens’ turn to win a penalty when Andrea Zammit was fouled by Luke Tabone and Brandon Paiber made no mis‐ take from the penalty spot.

Gzira pushed everything for‐ ward in the remaining minutes and pulled on back on 89 min‐ utes with a Ribeiro header from a Jefferson cross. The Maroons made a last ditch effort to save the game but it was too little too late as Valletta grabbed the three points at stake with Gzira drop‐ ping three precious points in the race for a place in Europe next season.