Floriana beat Msida, Hamrun batter Dingli

Floriana 2 Msida 1

An elastic header by Christian Caurana with 14 minutes left helped Floriana to open a six-point gap on Msida in the relagation pool of the Premier League today.

Chances were few and far between in a dour opening 45 minutes. The match finally came to life after the break and Floriana could have been three-up within 10 minutes of restart. A few moments after restart Ghebru raced clear down the right, but with Darmanin and Caruana screaming for a ball to be played into the box, the Ethiopian winger went alone and blazed wide.

Then, Caruana shot straight into the hands of Bartolo after a smart run from the right before Ryan Darmanin finally managed to put the ball into the net, finishing at the second attempt after Caruana's pass.

But if Msida were shocked, they did not take them long to regain their composure - and two minutes later they were level. To cap an amazing start to the second-half, Roderick Baldacchino's long-range shot looked harmless, yet Bernard Paris let the ball run loose and Cedric Sciberras stole in for the simplest of tap-ins.

However the pendulum swung once more in favour of Floriana, 14 minutes from time, when Caruana exercised his neck muscles to get his head to a free-kick by Doffo and arched a header beyond the reach of Bartolo.

Hamrun 6, Dingli 0

Hamrun Spartans crushed Dingli Swallows 6-0 to move a step closer from retaining their Premier League status for another season.

It was a trouble-free afternoon for the Spartans who forged ahead after seven minutes when Obinna Obifuele headed the ball home from a Mark Anthony Bonnici cross.

Marcelo Pereira doubled the Spartans’s lead on 40 minutes when Lee James Agius released the Brazilian who shot the ball past Jeffrey Farrugia.

Pereira struck again on 46 minutes when he was first the rebound after Farrugia kept out Spiteri’s header and the Hamrun forward fired home.

Hamrun made it 4-0 on 72 minutes when substitute Mead Mifsud was floored in the area by Roderick Briffa and from the penalty Perreira drilled the ball past Farrugia.

Perreira completed his poker on 78 minutes when he fired the ball home from close in. The Spartans wrapped up the points seven minutes from time when from a Clyde Camoin free-kick Mifsud headed the ball past Farrugia.