Valletta will celebrate Christmas at the top of the table together with champions Sliema, who however have a game in hand, following their deserved and easy victory against Msida. Valletta thus took sweet revenge over Msida who in the first round had the better of the Citizens with a 4-1 win.

Valletta fresh from their victory against Sliema, were simply better than their opponents, with players like Massimo Grima, Gilbert Agius, Milen Penchev and Jonathan Bondin above the rest. The match was lively thanks mainly to Valletta, but Msida must be praised especially for their first half performance were they never gave in. In fact Valletta scored twice in the first ten minutes and the match seemed sealed in Valletta’s favour but Msida’s never say die attitude put hem back in the game.

However in the second with the wind behind their backs, Valletta dominated from start to finish and Msida looked like a sparring partner waiting for the final whistle.

After a relatively short study phase Valletta took the lead in the fifth minute with a slick move on the right flank started by Bondin who passed to captain Gilbert Agius who beautifully passed to Vucasinovic who beat Omar Borg with a grounder.

On eleven minutes Valletta doubled the score when Massimo Grima gave a long through ball to Gilbert Agius who tried to dribble past Omar Borg but the Msida custodian managed to block, with the ball again to Agius who tried to cross to the unmarked Vucasinovic, but again Borg partially blocked and on the third attempt Agius made no mistake with a low shot.

Although jolted by this double blow Msida had a golden opportunity seconds later but Nwoke failed to connect in front of Sullivan to a good Micallef cross from the right. On the other end a Massimo Grima freekick slightly missed the base of the upright.

A rather quite patch followed until the 31st minute when Vucasinovic hit the crossbar with a header following a Gilbert Agius cross. Minutes earlier Valletta lost Mark Galea injured who was substituted by Chris Camilleri. Msida had a very good chance in the 33rd minute through Porceddu who was denied by Sullivan who blocked his shot from close range.

But Sullivan could do nothing to stop Daniel Nwoke from scoring in the 38th minute after chesting down well a cross from the right. Msida gained in confidence in the last minutes of the first half with Porceddu testing Sullivan following an Adrian Farrugia corner, and Clint Micallef shooting over the bar following a good move by Porceddu.

The second half started with Omar Borg saving an Agius dipper from the edge of the area. The same Agius tried his luck direct from a corner kick but Borg was again on hand to save. Valletta continued with the onslaught with Msida unable to go out of their defensive shell, and the third goal in the 61st minute was a just reward for Valletta’s dominance. Gilbert Agius’ shot from close range was partially saved by Borg and Penchev slammed the ball home.

Valletta were now in full command of the proceedings even though Sullivan had to charge out oh his position to block substitute Johann Zammit in a rare Msida break. On 75 minutes Valletta scored their fourth goal when Gozitan Chris Camilleri squeezed the ball home following a melee in front of Borg.

Valletta were not happy yet as they continued to attack. With five minutes to go Tano Farrugia tripped Vucasinovic inside the penalty area and referee Buontempo awarded the penalty. From the spot Massimo Grima hit the crossbar, the Msida defenders failed to clear the ball and Gilbert Agius crowned another five star performance by scoring his eighth goal of the season from close range.