An evenly balanced match was decided in Birkirkara’s favour courtesy of a 68th minute strike by Michael Galea to lift the champions’ hopes of making it to the Championship Pool.

On the other hand, Floriana’s position becomes the more precarious after this defeat, with only one win from their last six matches, and with Hibernians winning against Valletta to move four points adrift.

This encounter, between two teams yet to show signs of real consistency, lacked quality and excitement, especially the dull first half which ended in deadlock

Both sides were in urgent need of points to lift themselves further up the standings but both might have been hampered by the absences of several key players.

In the absence of the suspended Azzopardi, the injured Gango Rtsa and with Briffa on the bench, Floriana fielded a patched up defence, made up of Formosa and Pisani on the flanks and Psaila partnering Newell in central defence.

The Greens were also bereft of key players up front with Gomes injured, Micallef suspended and Mifsud missing from their squad. They gave a debut to their mid-week signing, Serbian Bojan Spasojevic who was only a peripheral figure on his first appearance in the Premier League.

Birkirkara were also far from full strength, and coach Azzopardi made a couple of changes from the side which beat Marsa so handsomely in the previous match. Holland and Barbara started the game instead of Borg and Scicluna, who were relegated to the bench. The promising Zerafa kept his place among the first team starters while Ciantar went in as a first half substitute for Bonnici.

The first 25 minutes were totally barren with neither side managing a shot on target.

On 37 minutes Barbara’s shot was saved into a corner by keeper Camilleri and Birkirkara’s best opportunity soon followed when Spasojevic sent an inviting cross from the left but Cilia, in front of goal, failed to put his head to it and the chance went to waste.

The quality of play improved slightly after the interval but the match still lacked real goalmouth action. Spasojevic’s low shot was blocked by the onrushing Bledzewski as the match desperately needed a goal to spark into life.

That came on 68 minutes in Birkirkara’s favour, albeit in some controversial manner. Holland’s floating free-kick from the right was volleyed by Barbara, rebounded off the Floriana defenders into Michael Galea’s path who thumped his effort against the post but was quick to shoot in the loose ball. The Floriana players protested strongly, apparently for some infringement on their grounded keeper in the process but the goal stood.

Floriana failed miserably to make a reaction after falling behind, lacking a bit of luck or a piece of individualism to take the game up a gear.

In the late stages substitute Sapiano shot Cilia’s low cross feebly on Bledzewski and the ball rolled dangerously across the face of the Birkirkara goal, on another Cilia delivery, but Floriana were lacking a poacher to finish the job.

* * *

Birkirkara: A. Bledzewski, M.A.Bonnici (A. Ciantar), R. Sammut, M. Calascione, E. Barbara, M. Galea, R. Briffa, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (P. Borg), J. Holland, J. Zerafa, G. Mallia (W. Camenzuli)

Floriana: M. Camilleri, J. Borg (J. Briffa), M. Gauci (A. Sapiano), D. Pisani, T. Cilia, C. Cassar, B. Spasojevic. M. A. Psaila, R. Newell, K. Formosa, M. Caruana

Referee: J. Attard Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, J. Camilleri 4th official: A. Azzopardi

Scorer: M. Galea

Yellow cards: JP. Mifsud Triganza, D. Pisani, E. Barbara, P. Borg, G. Mallia, C. Cassar

Player of the match: Etienne Barbara (Birkirkara)

TMI top three: 1. E. Barbara 2. R. Briffa 3. D. Pisani