HENRY BRINCAT

Valletta confirmed their strong potential this season as they humiliated their great rivals Floriana to the tune of 6-0 on Saturday.

The weekend’s three other matches saw Qormi surprising the more fancied Sliema Wanderers, while Birkirkara and Marsaxlokk both registered their first win of the season over Tarxien and Dingli respectively, thus also collecting their first points.

Valletta’s performance on Saturday outlined their strength with Njongo Priso and Terence Scerri showing their scoring prowess with two goals each. And for Jordi Cruyff, it was also a memorable match, contributing with a splendid goal – his first for Valletta in the Premier League.

I have been saying all along that this Valletta side is definitely second to none. They are much stronger than last season with their attack being the strongest department.

Ton Caanen’s work is now showing and I expect the side to continue improving in future when they are expected to dominate and run away with this year’s title. There is already one big question looming: Who will be able to stop this formidable side?

It was a grand performance which justifies the fact that they are already sole leaders after having played just two matches, even if the champions, Hibernians, were out of action the past weekend, and will have the chance to join the citizens at the top when they play their next commitment after the break.

Floriana simply did not live in the same street as Valletta. They were outgunned and had no reply especially after Valletta drew first blood before the 20th minute.

From then on, it was a no contest as the Greens fell far below expectations, especially after their coach Roddy Collins went on record as saying the day before the match that Floriana will be presenting a competitive team this season.

That was certainly a bold statement considering Saturday’s outcome. And new president John Camilleri and his committee will also be looking forward to ease the pains after this defeat in the hope that the team returns to healthier form, especially if they are to maintain hopes of finishing in the top four to earn a berth in next season’s Europa League.

It was a very poor performance from the Greens who showed they have big problems in all departments, starting with the defence and the midfield sector while the attack was not given much chance to perform against the wily and vastly superior

citizens.

Birkirkara obtained their first victory in a 2-0 win over Tarxien Rainbows. But it was not only thanks to the two goals that they notched their first points.

It was mainly through the inability of the Tarxien strikers who fluffed a good number of chances which could have produced a much different scoreline.

In fact, Birkirkara did not leave a good impression at all and coach Paul Zammit will certainly have to produce the best out of his mostly young team as quickly as possible to remain among the front runners.

Tarxien must only blame themselves for this defeat. They worked very hard and even had much more possession than the Stripes throughout the match. Yet, they failed to take the chances that came their way and finally paid the penalty as the Stripes assured themselves of their win with a late second goal.

Marsaxlokk were also made to fight very hard to obtain the points from a 1-0 win against newly promoted Dingli S.

The southern seasiders found a resilient Dingli side which fought for every ball, showing improvement after their initial 4-1 defeat at the hands of Tarxien the previous week.

The Swallows almost emerged from Ta’ Qali with a point, but it was that late strike from Malcolm Licari that broke their hearts.

As for Marsaxlokk, it was evident that there was lethargy among the players, possibly because of the fact that they do not yet know the outcome of the alleged corruption charge they are facing from the MFA.

In the other match this weekend, Qormi surprised Sliema to win three very precious points and move to second place in the standings, two points behind leaders Valletta.

It must be said that Qormi robbed nothing from this encounter. Although it is true that Sliema enjoyed more of the ball, especially in the second half, it was the Yellow Blacks who had the best chances and one must commend their new Brazilian striker Camillo who took his chance well to beat goalie Simon Agius for his club’s winner.

The Blues disappointed their followers. Not only because they obtained nothing from this match, but also because of their ineffective front line where the absence of Ivan Woods was sorely felt.

The Wanderers will have to improve considerably if they are to keep up the pace with Valletta at the top.

Best player: Njongo Priso (Valletta FC)

My pick this week falls on Valletta striker Njongo Priso.

He not only scored two goals in the crushing 6-0 win over Floriana, but also ran rings round the Floriana defenders and served several assists during a match in which he was very active.

It is no surprise that we hear of some clubs showing interest in his services. He is one of those players who entertains the crowds, like the never forgotten Frank Temile, who attracted the interest of Ukraine’s Dinamo Kiev two seasons ago.

Priso’s fantastic runs, crosses, dribbling and goals will certainly make him one of Valletta FC’s big assets this season.

Next matches

Fixtures not yet available

The new fixtures for the nine-team Premier League have not yet been released. The MFA is still waiting for developments over the Marsaxlokk alleged corruption case, which might be decided next Wednesday