Who will avoid the plunge?

Who's going to avoid the plunge? For the best part of the opening phase of the Premier League, the struggle to avert relegation to Division One was a no contest as newcomers St Patrick and Lija Athletic found it hard to justify their presence among the elite.

Their toils to adapt to the rigours of Maltese football's top competition ensured that much of the attention was trained on the scramble for top-six places as teams like Marsaxlokk, Floriana, Pietà Hotspurs and Msida SJ were realistically fighting it out for only two available spots in the Championship Pool.

There was an upsurge in the interest in the relegation issue when St Patrick and Lija began to collect some notable scalps while Pietà and Msida saw their aspirations of clinching a top-six finish dogged by injuries, controversy and the better consistency of their direct rivals.

These factors transformed the relegation issue from a mere formality for Pietà and Msida into a four-way fight which also included Lija and St Patrick. At least, that was the scenario at the start of the Relegation Pool but now it looks as if Pietà and Msida are finally pulling their weight.

St Patrick still have a fighting chance of keeping their status as they trail Msida by four points, both teams having a match in hand on Pietà.

After a promising start to their second phase commitments, Lija's limitations have been cruelly exposed in successive defeats to Msida and Pietà. Their salvation hopes have faded significantly as they are bottom of the table with seven points and only three matches left.

Many are of the opinion that Pietà and Msida will confirm their Premier League status before the last round of matches but the coaches of Lija and St Patrick have vowed to battle till the end.

Ilir Pelinku, Lija's Albanian coach, did admit however that Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Pietà dealt a body blow to their salvation chances.

"Our loss to Pietà has left us with a mountain to climb," Pelinku told The Times.

"I am disappointed with the performance of my players. They lacked the determination and fighting spirit that are so crucial in such important matches."

Despite his frustration at his team's results of late, Pelinku believes that relegation is not a closed issue.

"It's still a bit early to predict which teams will be relegated because there are still a number of matches to be played. For me, Msida are the strongest team in this section and Sunday's result has put Pietà in a good position. Still, anything can happen.

"It's going to be difficult for us to stay afloat but we have every intention to keep fighting till the end. If the players believe more in themselves and show the right commitment, we can still get back in contention," Pelinku insisted.

Bobby Giorev, the coach of St Patrick, also thinks that the struggle to avoid relegation is not finished yet.

"The teams are still very close to each other and there are some important matches left," Giorev commented.

"Our next game against Msida is very important as a win would take us within a point of them. Our performances of late fill me with courage ahead of our last four matches. I hope the players show the same spirit and level of organisation that proved the key to our win over Pietà in our last outing."

Giorev does not agree with widespread claims that Msida and Pietà are by far the strongest teams in the Relegation Pool.

"I don't see any one team that is clearly superior to the rest in the Relegation Pool. Maybe Msida have a stronger squad but on the day, any team can beat the other. The race is still wide open," the former Valletta midfielder said.

If St Patrick have given themselves a remote chance of preserving their status following their 2-0 win over Pietà, the latter regained their favourites' tag thanks to their comeback win over Lija.

"The three points achieved against Lija on Sunday have put us in an excellent position to retain our Premier League status," a relieved Georgi Deanov, the Pietà coach, said.

"Losing to St Patrick had inevitably increased the pressure on my young team. During the past two weeks, I did my best to raise the players' confidence and I was very pleased with their response against Lija. Now we are only three points away from sealing our place in the top flight."

Superior Msida, Pietà

Deanov was forthright when asked to name the leading candidates to walk the plank to Division One at the end of the season.

"As things look at the moment, I think that St Patrick and Lija Athletic will be relegated this season. Pietà and Msida are showing the better football and for this, they deserve to retain their top-flight status.

"Certainly, the Msida-St Patrick clash can have a decisive bearing on the relegation issue. If Msida win, it will be difficult for St Patrick and Lija to claw themselves back in contention."

Mario Petrone, the Italian coach of Msida St Joseph, claims not to have pondered the possibility of a relegation dogfight for his team.

"I will repeat what I always tell my players... the key to success or failure is in our own hands," Petrone said. "If we approach every game without excessive tension and try to play flowing football as was the case in our 2-0 victory over Lija, the likes of St Patrick and Lija have no chance of beating us. We are definitely better than they but we have to show this on the field of play.

"I'm optimistic in my team's chances of staying up. Frankly, the thought that Msida may be dragged into the relegation mire has never crossed my mind. This season, Msida have come a long way with regards to our football style. My team is always encouraged to play constructive, attacking football and our performances cannot be compared to last season when Msida spent most of the games confined in their half."

Like Deanov, Petrone is convinced that Msida and Pietà are a cut above St Patrick and Lija. "That Msida and Pietà are superior to the other teams in the Relegation Pool is a fact not an opinion," Msida's coach stressed.

"With the exception of St Patrick's victory over Pietà, I think that expectations have been generally met in the Relegation Pool. The stronger teams definitely take less risks in important matches and their experience and superior organisation will tell in the end."