Marsa were the big losers in the final week of the 2002-2003 Premier League as their 1-0 defeat to rivals Hamrun Spartans in a last-day derby showdown sent them reeling to Division One football. The boisterous and tense atmosphere helped to infuse more urgency into a crucial encounter in which the Red Blues paid the ultimate price for failure to take their chances.
A Roderick Bajada strike all but confirmed the Spartans' status in the top flight. Marsa had gone into the match knowing that only a victory would keep them afloat as Floriana were already safe after a 3-0 beating of relegated Mosta on Friday.
An illustrious career spanning some two decades came to an end on Saturday when Nicky Saliba, Valletta's loyal servant for 16 years, bid farewell to football in his team's 1-1 draw with Hibernians.
Valletta's inability to derive maximum points from their last league assignment extinguished their hopes of claiming the runners-up spot. Beppe Pace headed them into the lead within two minutes of the start of the second half but Adrian Mifsud equalised for Hibernians on 59 minutes.
That goal took Mifsud's tally of goals to 18, the same as Danilo Doncic of Sliema and Birkirkara's Michael Galea. The three finished joint-top in the scorers' list.
The honour for top scorers will be shared for the first time since 1994 when Valletta's Joe Zarb and Carl Zacchau, of Hibs, each scored 17 goals.
The only other occasion when three players finished joint first in the scorers' list was in 1980 - Emanuel Fabri (Sliema) and Valletta duo Leonard Farrugia and Leli Cristiano scoring 15 goals each in season 1979/80.
Meanwhile, the Citizens' third spot qualifies them for the Intertoto Cup but they can still earn a passage to the more lucrative UEFA Cup with a big helping hand from Sliema Wanderers and/or Birkirkara. Valletta, ousted from the FA Trophy by Hibernians in the quarter-finals, will make the UEFA Cup if the Paolites and Floriana fail to reach the final.
On Sunday, new champions Sliema Wanderers finished off their league commitments with a goalless draw against Birkirkara. The glorious weather was fitting for a special occasion as Sliema were finally presented with the much-coveted silverware they had secured with some four weeks in advance.
Birkirkara had little to play for bar pride as their second place had been wrapped up on Saturday.
On Friday, Pietà Hotspurs and Marsaxlokk brought the curtains down on their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw that enabled the former to seal their fifth-place finish in the standings.
The scorers...
Birkirkara - M. Galea 18; Dronca 12; Mallia 8; Nwoko 7; Camenzuli 6; Calascione 5; Briffa 4; Tabone 2; Micallef - Sylvester (Marsa) own goal.
Floriana - Baldacchino 6, Gvazava 6; Mattocks 5, Holland 5; Mifsud Triganza 4; Cilia 2; Cassar 2; Gango-Rtsa, Ciantar.
Hamrun Spartans - Sultana 11; Spiteri 7; Paiber 4 (moved to Hibs), Borg 4; Magro 2, Bajada 2; Brincat, Fenech.
Hibernians - A. Mifsud 18; Chukunyere 12; Scerri 5; Cohen 3, Zahra 3, Xuereb 3; Nisevic 2, Pullicino 2; M. Mifsud, Pulis, Ciantar, M'bong, Baldacchino.
Marsa: Tirchett 10; Abela 9; Eviparker 5; Asechemie 2, Borg 2; Mifsud, Camenzuli, Slavtchev, Grima - Newell (Mosta) own goal.
Marsaxlokk: J. Zammit 11; Formosa 8; Ogbodo 4; Bartes 2, Barbara 2, Buhagiar 2; Cutajar, B. Zammit, Walker, Templeman - Okonkwo (Pietà Hotspurs) own goal.
Mosta - Da Silva 6; Busuttil 2, Zammit 2, Camenzuli 2; Farrugia, Falzon, Terziyski, Agius, Chetcuti.
Pietà Hotspurs - Woods 9; J. Pace 6; Licari 5; Paniccia 3; Mamo, Di Lello, Debono - Grima (Marsaxlokk) own goal.
Sliema - Doncic 18; Veselji 9; Turner 7; Sammut 6, Anonam 6, Grima 6; Said 5; Mangion 4; Brincat 2, Camilleri 2; Chetcuti, Okoh, Mamo, Ciantar - Sciberras (Pietà) own goal.
Valletta - Bogdanovic 11 (moved to Cherno More, Bulgaria), Oretan 11; G. Agius 7, Galabov 7; Zammit 6; Penchev 3; Carabott 2, Debono 2, Theuma 2, Pace 2; Forace, Thomas, Bonnici, Bondin.