Valletta 5

Marsaxlokk 2

Valletta: A. Hogg, J. Caruana, S. Borg, I. Azzopradi, R. Briffa, E. Agius, O. Zongo (S. Arab), D. Dos Santos (R. Bajada), A. Effiong (S. Panandetiguiri), W. Barbosa, M. Mifsud

Marsaxlokk: C. Cassar, M. Valeriani, J. Brincat, C. Brincat, J. Xerri (C. Debattista), T. Templeman, N. Stoskovic, J.P. Farrugia (P. Borg), G. Caruana (S. Eboh), I. Kurtusic, A. Pedrozo

Referee: E. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: M. Scerri, R. Vella

4th official: K. Azzopardi

Scorers: M. Mifsud 8, 45 pen, 80, W. Barbosa 44, T. Templeman 53, S. Borg 86 pen

Yellow cards: M. Valeriani, J. Caruana, P. Borg

Red card: M. Valeriani

Player of the match: Michael Mifsud (Valletta)

TMI top 3: 1. C. Cassar 2. W. Barbosa 3. M. Mifsud

Valletta again moved four points clear of second placed Hibernians after hammering bottom side Marsaxlokk, with Michael Mifsud scoring a hat-trick.

Seven goals, three penalties and a sending off might suggest this was all brimstone and fire.

In fact it was much a one-sided match, with some controversial refereeing decisions that reduced Marsaxlokk to 10 men for the entire second half.

Marsaxlokk presented the perfect opportunity for the leaders to get their campaign back on track after the draw against Sliema Wanderers the previous week.

Valletta gave a dominant but profligate display and might have reached double figures were it not for their wastefulness as well as some superlative goalkeeping by Christian Cassar in the Marsaxlokk goal.

For all his admirable energy and trickery, Mifsud was also infuriatingly wasteful, even though he scored three of his side’s five goals.

And it was not until the second half that Valletta began to attack with real purpose. By then, Marsaxlokk were playing with 10 men and given the fragile confidence within their side, there was a sense of inevitability that a goal deluge would follow.

Marsaxlokk thus remain marooned at the bottom, without a win in nine matches, having collected only one point in the goalless draw against Mosta way back in November.

As expected, Valletta did the running, with Marsaxlokk staying composed and defending in numbers. Valletta, with Barbosa starting the match in front of the defence, raked several long balls forward for Mifsud to chase.

The first chance after three minutes came in a rather fortuitous manner. A Marsaxlokk clearance rebounded off the referee, the ball fell to the unmarked Mifsud, whose low shot was footed out by keeper Cassar.

But there was no stopping Valletta five minutes later. Michael Mifsud chested Azzopardi’s cross from the left and beat the Marsaxlokk keeper with a low shot.

Once they broke the deadlock, Valletta started to play with less urgency, although they squandered two half chances past the quarter hour. Effiong put his free header wide on Zongo’s cross and Mifsud’s tame effort on another Zongo cross was blocked by the grounded keeper Cassar.

Toothless Marsaxlokk rarely ventured into enemy territory and when Caruana tried to go past Briffa after 35 minutes, he shot feebly at keeper Hogg.

On 37 minutes Effiong played the ball forward to Mifsud but the keeper rushed out and footed away the danger.

Marsaxlokk collapsed to concede two goals in as many minutes before the break. The first came from a William Barbosa rasping free kick, from the edge of the area on the right, which rebounded off the upright, hit the keeper’s back and went in.

The second was rather controversial and had a huge bearing on the match. Zongo’s shot was blocked by Valeriani, with his back towards the ball, but the referee opted for a handling infringement and sent the Marsaxlokk defender off for a second caution, after awarding Valletta a highly debatable penalty. Michael Mifsud scored to give Valletta a three-goal cushion at halftime.

Down to 10 men, Marsaxlokk put in Patrick Borg for Farrugia and the start of the second half was characterised by another controversial refereeing decision. This time, Marsaxlokk were awarded the penalty after Stoskovic fell when Caruana’s tackle looked clean on the ball. Trevor Templeman tucked away his side’s first goal after eight matches.

Valletta kept wasting chances. Mifsud hit the post and Effiong put Mifsud’s cross wide before making way for defender Saidou Panandetiguiri from Burkina Faso. He played at right back, enabling Briffa to move in the middle and Barbosa further up behind the strikers.

It was Valletta who called the shots. On 64 minutes Denni put Mifsud clear, but was again thwarted by keeper Cassar. And after Roderick Bajada made a substitute appearance for Valletta, Agius drew a smart save out of Cassar who turned his shot into a corner.

But on 80 minutes, the Marsaxlokk keeper was rendered helpless when Michael Mifsud ran from half pitch before shooting low to complete his hat-trick.

Cassar held out another Barbosa effort before Valletta were awarded a second penalty, this time rightly so after Patrick Borg tripped Caruana inside the Marsaxlokk area. Steve Borg stepped up to make it 5-1.

But there was still time for 10-man Marsaxlokk to pull one back with two minutes remaining. Trevor Templeman ran in for Stoskovic’s through pass and beat keeper Hogg with a low drive.