Valletta's hopes of making it to the top six took a severe blow yesterday as they were completely routed by Marsaxlokk. The Southseasiders, without putting any houses on fire, always looked a superior outfit to a mediocre and opaque Valletta side bereft of conviction.

Besides conceding two goals, one towards the end of the first half and another soon after the restart, Valletta were also obliged to play with ten men for more than a half hour and two other goals in the dying minutes completed their misery.

On the other hand, this bolstering win keeps Marsaxlokk within close distance of the leading pack, retaining high hopes when the points are halved in the second phase.

Valletta started the match with Forace and Chukunyere on the bench while Marsaxlokk were still without the injured Paiber with Carlo Mamo, Magro, Wellman and Gomes dos Santos as the back-four.

In the initial phase, Soares Gomes headed Sammut's cross over the bar and minutes later a Frendo corner caused some havoc inside the Valletta area but Sammut shot wastefully wide.

But the pace in the first half remained ludicrous, to say the least. Both teams looked disjointed with too many passes going astray and ball control far from the highest quality.

Marsaxlokk, however, looked the most likely to break the duck. The spirited Cleaven Frendo nearly caught keeper Sullivan out of place on 37 minutes and tried to lob the ball from some 30 metres out but the Valletta custodian recovered well to tip the ball over the bar.

Valletta, with Galea and Zammit only peripheral figures in attack, went closest with a Cassar low cross from the right soon before the break. The ball travelled across the face of the Marsaxlokk goal with no one hitting it.

With half-time beckoning, Valletta were caught on the hop by a Marsaxlokk fast break. Soares Gomes advanced on the left flank as the Valletta rearguard waited for the flag to go up. When it did not, Cleaven Frendo ran in to connect to the low ball to give his side the lead.

Valletta suffered a second blow five minutes into the second half when a Carlo Mamo arrow-like free-kick left keeper Sullivan stranded and four minutes later Valletta's woes increased with Ian Zammit's dismissal for a second bookable offence.

The woodwork denied M’Xlokk a third past the hour, holding out Frendo's effort with Sullivan rooted to his line as Sammut hit the rebound wide.

Chukunyere's late inclusion served Valletta no purpose as the completely superior Marsaxlokk added two more goals in the last three minutes. First Andre Schembri went past two opponents on the left and beat Sullivan from an acute angle at the near post and then substitute Kevin Mamo sealed the issue, shooting into an empty goal after rounding off the helpless Sullivan.

Valletta: S. Sullivan, K. Cassar, B. Nisevic, M. Grima (N. Chukunyere), S. Pace, I. Zammit, J. Bondin, K. Fenech, A. Debono (D. Zarb), G. Agius, M. Galea (K. Magro)

Marsaxlokk: R. Gauci, C. Magro, N. Gomes Dos Santos, S. Wellman, K. Sammut, T. Templeman (G. Sciberras), C. Mamo, C. Frendo (K. Mamo), A. Schembri, W. Soares Gomes (S. Bajada), J. Pace

Referee: A. Azzopardi, Asst. refs: I. Spiteri, A. Arena 4th official: A.M. Sant

Scorers: C. Frendo, C. Mamo, A. Schembri, K. Mamo

Yellow cards: Gomes dos Santos, K. Fenech, I. Zammit, K. Cassar

Red card: I. Zammit

Player of the match: C. Frendo (Marsaxlokk)

TMI top three: 1. C. Frendo 2. S. Wellman 3. Soares Gomes