Msida obtained a third win in a row and are now on 22 points from 12 games occupying fourth place with a good chance for promotion. Sta Venera suffered a fifth consecutive defeat having only seven points from 12 games and lying in last place.

After a balanced first period, Msida dominated the second period. After a Wayne Galea free-kick, a shot by Daniel Mizzi was cleared by a Sta Venera defender.

Msida keeper Dabuek Virda saved a free-kick shot by Neville Mifsud and later foiled Daniel Grima from concluding with a timely sortie after a Keith Attard through ball.

Kurth Hili put Kersten Brincat through and Saints keeper Mark Falzon had to come out of his charge to first the ball away.

Just before the half time whistle a shot by Kurt Grech missed the bar by inches with Falzon beaten.

A Kurt Hili cross was cleared to a corner by a Sta Venera defender and from the flagkick by the same player Falzon saved a header by Matthew Borda.

In a Sta Venera rate attack, Wayne Portelli put Daniel Grima through but Borda saved his feeble lobbed ball.

On 50 minutes Kurt Hili committed the miss-of-the-match as he skied the ball after a Kurt Grech through ball with only Falzon to beat and Falzon later saved a well-taken freekick shot by Wayne Galea.

Msida scored the all-important goal 10 minutes from time through a header by Dexter Vassallo after a Kurt Hili flagkick and five minutes before normal time the woodwork denied Msida a second goal when a flagkick by Hili was partially cleared and the ball thumped the upright from a Luke Spiteri rebound.

Referee: Sammy Attard

Player of the match: Kurt Hili (Msida)

APS Bank U/ 16 Section A

Floriana 1

Birkirkara 2

This game at Dingli ground kicked off 25 minutes late as the Gozitan assistants Paul Apap and Sammy Attard arrived at 12.50pm, the game was scheduled to kick off at 12.30pm.

It was a balanced game with both teams having their good moments and a draw would have been a fair result.

Stripes keeper Glenn Sciberras foiled Keith Cauchi with a timely sortie after an Owen Bugeja through ball, at the other end, Mark Sammut crossed to Carl Calvagna but the latter’s shot was headed away and also a freekick shot by Mark Zammit Marmara was headed away by a Greens defender.

Greens keeper Luca Grech saved on Iro Curmi after a Thomas Camilleri pass.

On 24 minutes, Birkirkara forged ahead when Curmi put Alan Attard through who scored with a low shot on entering the area.

Ian Darmanin floated a perfect ball in Birkirkara’s area from a freekick but Max Ebejer headed out when well-placed and five minutes before halftime Birkirkara nearly doubled but Grech partially saved a shot by Attard and a defender cleared the ball to safety.

Four minutes after restart Floriana equalised Vincenzo Brincat put Andrea Grech through who scored with a rising shot from an acute angle from the edge of the area, substitute Karl Grech then missed the Stripe’s upright after beating two defenders and Brincat failed to apply the killer touch from inside the area after an Owen Bugeja well-taken free-kick.

Just before the final whistle Birkirkara scored the winning goal. From a Camilleri cross the ball was partially cleared and substitute Berton Catania was on hand to bang in the rebound.

Referee: Thomas Debono

Player of the match: Alan Attard (Birkirkara)