Valletta: S. Darmanin (M. Montfort), J. Bondin, B. Nisevic, M. Grima, R. Forace (C. Spiteri), D. Camilleri, U.Edafe (M. Barbara), D. Falzon, D. Zarb, I. Zammit, G. Agius

Pieta H: A. Hogg, D. Okonkwo, M. Deanov, Q. Refalo, C. Sammut, A. Spiteri (D. Kokavessis), D. Camenzuli, S. Kondev, A. Debono (A. Decesare), D. Mifsud, R. Camilleri (R.Grech)

Referee: A. Azzopardi Asst. refs: I. Spiteri, K. Borg 4th official: C. Pisani

Scorers: D. Falzon, I. Zammit, G. Agius (4) 1 pen

Yellow cards: D. Okonkwo

Red card: D. Okonkwo

Player of the match: Gilbert Agius (Vallletta)

TMI top three: 1. G. Agius 2. I. Zammit 3. D. Camilleri

Valletta are going places. Their fourth win on the trot without conceding a goal, suggests a top four finish at the very least by the end of the second round, for the club from the capital.

Four goals by halftime and another two after the interval gave Valletta victory on an afternoon when they barely needed to break sweat.

Even without the suspended striker Monesterolo, who had hit four goals against the same Pieta in the first round, Valletta still looked deadly enough against a vulnerable Pieta rearguard, and captain Gilbert Agius himself notched four goals with some clinical finishing to dismantle inept and inferior opponents.

An early goal, conceded after ten minutes, paved the way for Pieta's downfall. Edafe won the ball on the right flank, advanced and sent a low cross which was well met by Dyson Falzon, whose first effort hit the upright but then the same player was quick to shoot in the rebound.

Valletta's mounting pressure nearly brought them their second goal on 19 minutes when Zammit connected well on Camilleri's pass but his lob over the keeper was cleared by Spiteri on the goal line.

Ian Zammit made amends just a minute later. Put clear by Edafe's through pass he beat the onrushing keeper Hogg with a well placed shot.

Pieta's defence was repeatedly ripped apart by Valletta's exciting attack and midway through the half they were again caught off balance. Agius made room inside the area but slipped on the point of shooting.

Past the half hour Agius chipped the ball towards Zarb on the right. His cross was well met by Zammit whose shot was blocked by Hogg and Debono cleared the ball before Agius could connect.

Agius and Zammit combined to telling effect on 36 minutes. The latter's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper but crossed for the unmarked Agius to head in at the far post.

On the stroke of halftime, the dominant Valletta scored their fourth, again courtesy of some comic-cut defending by the Hotspurs, caught square on Zammit's ball forward, and as the flag did not go up, Gilbert Agius had all the time in the world to floor the keeper and score.

Pieta effected a double substitution at the start of the second half, putting in Grech and Kovakessis as Valletta substituted keeper Darmanin with Montfort.

But the Citizens remained the more menacing. On 50 minutes, Edafe ran in for Agius' inviting pass and his cross shot from the right skimmed the foot of the post.

Five minutes later, Agius put Zarb through but the youngster was foiled by Camenzuli after beating the keeper.

With the points virtually secured, Valletta continued to play with training ground easiness but still piled up the goals when awarded a penalty on 76 minutes after the referee noticed some infringement inside the Pieta area and Gilbert Agius tucked away the penalty.

The Valletta skipper completed the rout on 81 minutes after he chased a delicate chip inside the eight-yard box to foil both the keeper and Sammut and steer the ball into an unattended goal.

To rub salt into Pieta's wound, defender Okonkwo was dismissed with five minutes remaining after a second bookable offence, ending another miserable afternoon for the tumbling Hotspurs.