A goal by defender Patrick Borg towards the end, gave Birkirkara a scrappy win over Floriana in a dull 90 minutes that matched the bleak weather at Ta’Qali yesterday.

The champions now move comfortably above the same Floriana, alone in third place, as they inflicted the first defeat on the Greens in four matches.

But to advance further, the Stripes must show more improvement. Passion, commitment, urgency were all absent from both sets of players in equal measure.

Bereft of some regular players, Birkirkara were forced to make several tactical changes in their line-up. Patrick Borg and Rowen Muscat were the two centre backs in the absence of Harding and the suspended Zerafa. Thomas Paris played left back and Angus Buhagiar on the right. Paul Fenech and Simon Zahra were the two holding midfielders, with Alan Tabone supporting the attacking trio of Michael Galea, and wide players Lattes and Bajada, in the absence of the not fully fit Trevor Cilia.

On his part, Floriana’s coach Todor Raykov made three changes following the draw against Hibernians. Christian Cassar, Luke Agius and Ryan Darmanin were dropped and Clyde, Sascha and Joseph Borg started instead.

A barren first half hour was utterly devoid of incident and did not even produce one shot on goal. The half was littered with many misplaced passes as both sides gave away possession too cheaply.

Floriana forced a couple of corners which none proved productive until, on 34 minutes Mecerod chested Pisani’s cross but hit over when pressed by the onrushing Birkirkara keeper.

Three minutes later, a Doffo free kick was flicked by Micallef into the keeper’s safe hands.

On the other end, Lattes shot wastefully off target on a Bajada inviting pass and again a Lattes cross was palmed out by Floriana keeper Saidi.

The second half remained much on the same pattern with the ball kicked from one box to another with little purpose.

Past the hour, Birkirkara effected a double substitution, putting in Terence Vella and Karl Pulo for Bajada and Tabone.

Floriana also put in Christian Caruana for Sascha Borg and threatened when a sailing Doffo free kick from the edge of the area on the right caused panic in the Birkirkara defence but the danger was somehow averted.

But Birkirkara went close on 70 minutes as Lattes foraged down the right flank and crossed low for Galea, whose first effort was parried by Saidi’s reflex save but as the Birkirkara striker shot in the loose ball, he fouled the keeper and the goal was disallowed.

But there was no denying Birkirkara six minutes later. A Lattes free kick from the left cut the entire Floriana defence and defender Patrick Borg turned attacker to knock the ball just over the line at the far end.

Floriana were rattled. They put in Darmanin for the last ten minutes. But the closest they could get was two minutes from the end when Caruana found the ball in his path on a Birkirkara erratic defensive clearance. His testing cross from the byeline, however, found nobody to conclude and the chance went begging.

Floriana: L. Saidi, B. Said, P. Doffo, M. Micallef, D. Pisani, M. Mecerod, I. Woods, J. Borg (R. Darmanin), S. Borg (C. Caruana), T. Farrugia, C. Borg (I. Sokolov)

Coach: T. Raykov

Birkirkara: M. Fraser, T. Paris (R. Scicluna), P. Borg, S. Zahra, S. Bajada (T. Vella), P. Fenech, A. Tabone (K. Pulo), R. Muscat, A. Buhagiar, M. Galea, E. Lattes

Coach: P. Zammit

Referee: A.M. Sant

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, T. Debono

4th official: M. Apap

Scorers: P. Borg 76

Yellow cards: M. Mecerod, A. Buhagiar, R. Muscat, D. Pisani, T. Vella, P. Fenech, I. Sokolov

Player of the match: E. Lattes (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3: 1. E. Lattes 2. P. Doffo 3. P. Borg