Birkirkara continued with their perfect start when in the main match played at the National Stadium they beat Valletta by three goals to nil. It was another good performance by the Stripes who once again join Hamrun Spartans at the summit both with maximum points.
The Stripes went into this match with a hundred per cent record beating Sirens, Zebbug Rangers, Floriana and Santa Lucia in the first matches.
On the other hand Valletta had mixed fortunes when after opening their committments with a draw against champions Hibernians and thrashing Pieta Hotspurs were held by Sirens and lost to rivals Floriana in their last outing. Therefore this was their second consecutive defeat.
The first chance came Birkirkara’s way when Tulimieri set Da Paixao but Guarnone dashed forward to block on time. On nine minutes a Kilian Bevis diagonal shot hit the side rigging.
Andrea Zammit tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the area in the 15th minutes but this sailed over the bar. A minute later Belvis back healed towards Zammit whose shot from inside the area was deflected over the bar and into a corner.
Minutes later a Cabrera acute shot was blocked onto a corner. B’Kara went near once again when following a Zammit cross from the left a headed effort by Cabrera was saved by Guarnone.
Valletta responded just off the half hour when Dimech following a good run rifled a shot which was saved by Guarnone.
Birkirkara forged ahead in the 29th minute when a Tulimieri free-kick was headed into the corner of the net by Valletta defender Pena Beltre giving Guarnone no chance to save.
On the stroke of half time Birkirkara could have doubled their lead when Tulimieri quickly found Da Paixao whose shot was blocked by an onrushing Guarnone.
In the 53rd minute Valletta went near when Dimech set Zammit whose low shot hit the side netting.
On 57 minutes Valletta effected a double substitution and this nearly reaped the fruit since Akpoveta received a long ball but his shot was perfectly blocked by an alert Nava.
Valletta held possession for long stretches but were rarely effective. Indeed it was Birkirkara who doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when following some good work by Italian Osvaldo Iorio his cross found Enzo Cabrera whose flicked home from closed range.
Birkirkara were reduced to ten man when Iorio was given the marching orders following a second bookable offence. But it was the Stripes who sealed the issue in the 86th minute when Da Paixao played the ball towards Federico Falcone who fired a fierce shot which left goalkeeper Guarnone.
Photo: Domenic Aquilina