Valletta's 7-0 thrashing of champions Marsaxlokk last Saturday was the main talking point after another weekend of Premier League action which also saw a winning debut for Stephen Azzopardi as Sliema coach. Floriana lost 3-2 to Birkirkara to surrender top spot to their Old-Firm rivals Sliema who were 4-1 winners over Msida St Joseph.
The Valletta vs Marsaxlokk fixture has always attracted considerable interest in local football circles but last weekend's clash ought to have an extra edge as it was the first meeting between these two teams since Victor Sciriha, the former Marsaxlokk chief, took over as president of the Citizens last summer.
Yet, the match turned out to be a no-contest as Valletta swept past their opponents in a one-sided encounter in which Argentine forward Sebastian Monesterolo rediscovered his scoring touch when hitting an impressive four goals in 33 first-half minutes.
With the Citizens 4-0 up at half-time, the second half offered little interest as the fumbling Marsaxlokk suffered further humiliation when conceding three more goals by Heiner Backhaus, his first for Valletta, Ian Zammit and Frank Temile.
In Saturday's early kick-off, Floriana slumped to their second defeat in nine matches, losing 3-2 to Birkirkara.
The early signs were encouraging for Danilo Doncic's team as Serbian defender Darko Krsteski put them ahead with a sixth-minute penalty. Birkirkara hit back strongly and goals by Floriana Old boys Shaun Bajada (28) and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza (40) put them in the driving seat. Christian Cassar seemed to have salvaged a point for Floriana with an excellent free-kick on 62 minutes but the Stripes, who had not won in their last four games, had the final say.
Substitute Thomas Paris struck the winner five minutes from time to lift the Stripes to joint-third, alongside Valletta, in the standings.
Azzopardi enjoyed a positive debut as Sliema coach as the Wanderers achieved a 4-1 win over Msida St Joseph who had three players sent off in the second half.
Patrick Borg netted his second goal in two matches to give Msida a surprise lead early on but headed goals from Aleksandar Madzar (29) and Orosco Anonam (53) turned the score in Sliema's favour.
Msida's hopes of taking something from this match evaporated in the space of 11 second-half minutes after Priso Doding, Dino Cachia and Stefano Grima were all red-carded. Despite their numerical advantage, Sliema had to wait until stoppage time to assure themselves of the points with goals by Matthew Bartolo and Roderick Briffa.
In the other match of the weekend, Hamrun Spartans squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Hibernians.
Goals from Alfred Effiong and Stefan Sultana put the Spartans in charge inside the opening 24 minutes. But the Paolites fought back to cancel out their 2-0 deficit through goals by Andrew Cohen and Uzeh Edafe.
Premier League statistics
Birkirkara: Hartvig 3, M. Galea 3; Bajada 2; Tabone, Tamboulas, Yantchev, Mifsud Triganza, T. Paris.
Floriana: C. Caruana 3, Mifsud 3, Darmanin 3, Krsteski 3 (1 pen.); Micallef 2, Brincat 2; M. Caruana, Bolasie, Sevasta, Cassar. Red cards: M. Brincat (vs Mqabba); Krsteski (vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Mifsud (vs Msida SJ).
Hamrun Spartans: Spiteri 4; Sultana 2, Effiong 2; Briffa, Mangion, Ryan Fenech. Red cards: Ryan Fenech (vs Pietà); Timotic (vs Birkirkara).
Hibernians: Scerri 5; Cohen 4 (1 pen.); Alcorse 2; Doffo, Agius, Edafe. Red card: Failla (vs Floriana).
Marsaxlokk: Frendo 2, Gomes 2; Sammut, Pullicino, Da Silva, Licari, Camenzuli, Templeman, Barbara. Missed penalty: Gomes (vs Sliema).
Mqabba: Pereira 6 (1 pen.); Gatt Baldacchino, Silva pen, Calleja, Nogueira. Red card: Pereira (vs Birkirkara).
Msida: Doding 2 (1 pen), Dos Santos Calcado 2, Borg 2; Baldacchino, Ogbonna, Magri. Red cards: A. Farrugia (vs Birkirkara), Brincat (vs Hibs), Dos Santos Calcado (vs Mqabba), Doding, Cachia, Grima (all vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Doding (vs Hibs).
Pieta: Herrera 4; Deanov 3; Kondev 2 pens, Deliminkov 2; Galabov, Goodlip, Refalo. Red card: Aquilina (vs Valletta). Missed penalties: Kondev (vs Msida), Herrera (vs Hibs).
Sliema: Barbara 5 (1 penalty); Madzar 4; Said 2, Briffa 2; Milovanovic, Muscat, Bajada, Woods, Anonam, Bartolo.
Valletta: Monesterolo 7; Zammit 5; Agius, Giglio pen., Mattocks, Bondin, Mifsud, Backhaus, Temile. Red cards: Zammit (vs Pietà); Mattocks (vs Mqabba). Missed penalties: Monesterolo 2 (vs Pietà).
Next Fixtures
National Stadium
Saturday, Dec. 8
Birkirkara vs Hibs 2 p.m.
Floriana vs Valletta 4 p.m.
V. Tedesco Stadium
Sunday, Dec. 9
Pietà vs Marsaxlokk 12.45 p.m.
Hamrun vs Mqabba 2.45