Birkirkara registered their eighth consecutive positive result when they beat Sirens in the first match played at the Hibs Stadium. For the Stripes this was their sixth win from their last eight matches.

The match resulted in an entertaining one especially the first period in which four goals were scored.

Sirens went into this match in tenth place on sixteen points wheras Birkirkara in sixth place on twenty one point.

In their last matches before the festive break Sirens were held by Mosta in a 2-2 draw. On the other hand Birkirkara beat champions Floriana by a convincing 5-2 scoreline.

Birkirkara went near on 8 minutes when Falcone made his way through the opposing defence passing towards Mbong only for his shot to be turned into a corner.

Sirens responded a minute later when Domoraud found Tounkara who from a diagonal position concluded wide.

And in the 17^th minute the Stripes had another chance when Yankam had his shot cleared off the line.

Birkirkara took the lead on 26 minutes when an Alex de Paixao corner found Carniello and the latter fired the ball from close range into the corner of the net.

Sirens drew level in the 27^th minute when Bonanni headed backwards with Tounkara making the best out of this mistake and after rounding Guarnone placed the ball into the net.

On 37 minutes a Montebello shot from the edge of the area was blocked by an alert Cassar. But it was Sirens who forged ahead for the first time six minutes from the break. A Tounkara corner from the right side was perfectly met by a sliding Wellington de Oliveira who put the ball into the net.

But the Stripes kept on believing and in the 44^th minute a mix up in the Sirens penalty area ended with Paul Mbong blasting the ball into the net for Birkirkara’s equalizer.

The Stripes started the second half with a bang as in the 49^th minute they took the lead. Carniello passed towards Federico Falcone who was well placed in the opposing area and his shot beat Cassar all ends up.

For long stretches play was restricted to the midfield area with neither team setting the match alight. Sirens tried to mount a decent reaction but found the Birkirkara rearguard well organized.

Seven minutes from the end Terence Agius could have done better when off an Espindola corner his shot following a short clearance sailed well over the bar.

In stoppage time Birkirkara sealed the issue when in a fast counter break Prado found Montebello whose deflected shot ended in the net. A win which puts Birkirkara in fourth place just four points shy of league leaders Sliema Wanderers.

Photo: Domenic Aquilina