All the combinations for winning the league some two weeks ago have now fallen to a mere two after Sirens' merited win over Marsascala yesterday.
Following this win, the St Paul's Bay side have moved to 19 points in the league table and have eliminated both M'Scala and even Neptunes from the title race.
The two possibilities now depend on Sliema's performance and result against arch-rivals Neptunes this evening. If the reigning champions do manage to win, then there would need to be a decider between them and Sirens (one has to mention that two years ago there was a similar situation with John Paris scoring a golden goal as Sliema went on to win four consecutive league titles and are trying to register a unique local record of five titles in a row).
However, if Sliema draw or lose against Neptunes (and given the rivalry that exists between these two local sides, one expects Neptunes to do their utmost to at least deny Sliema the chance of getting the five consecutive titles as, after all, they are sharing the present record of four titles in a row with the blues), then the league will be won outwardly by Sirens.
The game got off on a slow rhythm as both sides looked tense. The first session was very much a tactical affair with both defences showing superiority on the respective offences.
After Sirens had missed a double man-up opportunity with fine Bugeja saves, M'Scala managed to open the score. Paul Privitera outswam Mercieca and, after receiving the ball from Licari, coolly lobbed over Caruana Dingli in the fifth minute.
Two minutes into the second session, Sirens (who had just missed their second man-up) equalised through a low shot by Karl Montfort only for Privitera to reply for the greens a minute later with a powerful eight metre shot to the right corner.
Just 28 seconds later Sirens scored their first man-up goal when Micallef was excluded and David Cutajar scored from his customary left position.
The lead went Sirens' way a minute later when there were just two seconds left for possession: Charles Zammit beat Bugeja with a bounce shot.
The game was lively here and M'Scala managed to draw level for the last time in the match when Tony Galea scored a gem of a goal with a shot directed accurately in the top left corner.
Sirens' reply was immediate as just 21 seconds later, Montfort got his second in the game after he won a centre tussle with Gialanze.
After the teams changed ends at 4-3, Sirens managed to score yet another four goals in the third session but M'Scala had no reply for an 8-3 score with just a session to play.
Captain Jonathan Valletta led the way with two goals in the first 69 seconds, the first with a crisp eight metre shot and the second on a Galea exclusion.
M'Scala's offensive efforts were quite feeble at this stage when faced by a solid Sirens defence. The latter took the opportunity to add more goals as Montfort, like Valletta, got a brace in the session, one of them on a man-up. Sirens ended the game with a 3 on 6 total in man-ups whereas M'Scala, who won exclusions only in the last session, finished with a 2 on 4.
When Cutajar got his second goal in the game, two minutes into the last session, the encounter was as good as over with Sirens banking on a six-goal lead: 9-3.
M'Scala looked demoralised but they got a more respectable score with John Licari trying hard to up his team's tempo with two consecutive goals in the third minute and then, just seven seconds from the end, Privitera registered his hat-trick with a man-up goal as he beat reserve goalkeeper Alan Grech who took Caruana Dingli's spot in the dying minutes of the game and even had effected a good save on a man down a minute before.
At the end, Sirens were a satisfied lot as they can be relaxed tomorrow, knowing fully well that, at least, they have a decider in the bag and could even be crowned champions in a few hours depending on the result of the Sliema-Neptunes game.
Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, A. Grech, J. Rizzo Naudi, K. Rizzo Naudi, C. Cauchi, J. Valletta 2, J. Borg, D. Cutajar 2, K. Montfort 4, C. Zammit 1, C. Mercieca, R. Attard, N. Cassar.
Marsascala: I. Bugeja, C. Spiteri de Barro, A. Galea 1, P. Privitera 3, C. Gialanze, J. Xerri De Caro, J. Licari 2, L. Griscti, S. Micallef, R. Cutajar, P. Fava, D. Ciappara, S. Farrugia.
Refs: L. Bianco, M. Angileri.
Valletta Utd FR 8
Marsaxlokk Freeport 10
(2-2, 2-2, 2-3, 2-3)
Valletta: E. Arrigo, G. Sammut 1, Mauro Camilleri 1, Marco Camilleri, D. Degiorgio, D. Saliba 1, A. Galea 1, D. Shaw, F. Testa, C. Saliba, P.Bonnici, M. Zammit 3, E. Pisani 1.
Marsaxlokk: R. Bonnici, S. Cachia 5, R. Calleja, A. Farrugia, N. Kerr, C. Bugeja 3, C. Jones, S. Cutajar 1, K. Incorvaja, M. Fava, D. Cassar 1, M. Cutajar, G. Zammit.
Refs: A. Deraffaele, R. Spiteri