Highlights from the Premier League matches

Sliema Wanderers and Birkirkara have been involved in a neck-and-neck race over the last few weeks but with only two games remaining before the 2003-2004 Premier League campaign is over, it is the former who hold the upperhand.

Birkirkara's 2-0 victory over Floriana was meant to open up the heat on Sliema as their lead was reduced to two points before their potentially tricky encounter with Marsaxlokk.

Come Sunday, Sliema's response was a typical performance of champions-elect... composed, calm and deadly.

Two second-half goals, courtesy of two of their most in-form players, Stefan Giglio and Danilo Doncic gave Sliema a 2-0 victory over a lacklustre Marsaxlokk side who could have lost by a far wider margin had it not been for an excellent performance by their goalkeeper Ivan Casha.

Having restored their five-point lead over Birkirkara, the Wanderers will be crowned champions if they beat Hibernians on Monday, provided that Birkirkara win their next match against Pietà Hotspurs.

Michael Galea set Birkirkara on way to victory last Friday when breaking the stalemate after 38 minutes. Man-of-the-match William Camenzuli ensured their 16th win of the season with a second goal 12 minutes from time.

Hibernians also stayed in the hunt for second spot in the table with a 1-0 victory over Pietà Hotspurs in Sunday's first match. Adrian Mifsud's 38th-minute winner - his 100th Premier League goal - was one of few bright moments of a largely dull match.

In the Relegation Pool, Msida St Joseph spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to seize the initiative in the fight for survival after they were held to a 3-3 draw by modest Hamrun Spartans.

Msida faced an uphill struggle to take full points after Gaetan Spiteri and Stefan Sultana gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead inside the first 39 minutes but the Saints fought back with goals from Charles Sciberras, Olumuyiwa Aganun and Daniel Nwoke putting them 3-2 ahead.

The red card shown to Spiteri, early in the second half, should have increased Msida's chances of beating Hamrun but an 88th minute goal from Mauro Brincat gave his battling side an unlikely point.

Scorers

Balzan Youths - EviParker 8, Zahra 8 (1 pen.); Scerri 2 (2 pens.), Valenzia 2; Muscat, Arpa, Tellus, Gera - W. Attard (Hamrun) own goal.

Birkirkara - M. Galea 14; Doda 10; Calascione 8; Dronca 6 (4 pens.), Nwoko 6; Camenzuli 4 (1 pen.); Mallia 3; Mifsud Triganza 2; Monye, Bonnici, Zahra.

Floriana - Do Nascimento 8 (3 pens.); Baldacchino 6; Holland 5; Da Silva 4; Cilia 3, Mifsud Triganza 3 (now with Birkirkara); Mattocks 2, Gango-Rtsa 2, Bajada 2; Galea, Wellman.

Hamrun - Sultana 6 (4 pens.); Spiteri 3, Brincat 3; Bajada 2; Fabri, Bencini (now with Sliema).

Hibs - A. Mifsud 8; Paiber 6 (6 pens.), Cohen 6; Chukunyere 5, Scerri 5, Schembri 5; M. Mifsud 2; Zahra, Xuereb, Pulis, Baldacchino - S. Pace (Valletta) o.g.

Marsaxlokk - Barbara 14 (4 pens.); Bogdanovic 9 (1 pen.); Licari 6; Slavtchev 3 (1 pen.), Buhagiar 3; Asechemie 2; Bartes, Formosa, Carabott.

Msida - Nwoke 11; Aganun 9 (4 pens.); Boni 3, Sciberras 3; Tabone, Tirchett, A. Farrugia.

Pietà - Woods 11 (4 pens.); Debono 6; Frendo 3, Borg 3; Azzopardi 2, Omam 2, Okoh 2; Fenech, Nisevic, G. Sciberras, Okonkwo, Abdilla, Ekwe.

Sliema - Doncic 17 (1 pen.); Giglio 10 (1 pen.); Mifsud 6; Brincat 5; Sammut 4; Anonam 3, Turner 3 (1 pen.); Veselji 2 (now with Valletta), Mangion 2; Sylla, Bogdanovic (now with Marsaxlokk), Said, Grima (now with Valletta) - Penchev (Valletta) own goal.

Valletta - Agius 10 (1 pen.); Ian Zammit 4, Ivan Zammit 4 (2 pens.), Theuma 4 (3 pens.); Sacco 3, Veselji 3; Forace 2, Tonchev 2, Bondin 2; Penchev, K. Zammit, J. Pace (pen.), Grima, Stajic.

Next fixtures

Thursday (Ta' Qali)
6 p.m. Balzan vs Hamrun
8 p.m. Floriana vs Marsaxlokk

Sunday (Ta' Qali)
3.00 p.m. Valletta vs Msida SJ
5.30 p.m. Pietà vs Birkirkara

Monday (Ta' Qali)
7.30 p.m. Sliema vs Hibernians