Balzan put their European football ambitions back on track when they breezed past relegation-threatened Pieta Hotspurs at the National Stadium on Sunday.

After a quiet start, Balzan went close on 17 minutes when off a free-kick by Steve Pisani from the left, Ivan Bozovic hit the upright. 

Eleven minutes later, Serrano Valero headed wide off a cross by Pisani. 

Balzan took the lead on 34 minutes. 

Pietà defender Stefan Radovanovic chested the ball down but failed to control it just outside the area and Andrija Majdevac had the easiest of jobs in slotting past Nicky Vella.

One minute in the second half, Milos Lepovic missed a good opportunity to extend the lead, hitting wide when served by Correa on the left.

However Balzan doubled the score on 61 minutes. There was a cross from the right by Ljubomirac, Lepovic’s effort was blocked by Vella but off the rebound, Correa placed the ball at the back of the net.

Balzan increased the lead on 77 minutes. Substitute Pisani served substitute Alfred Effiong whose diagonal shot from the right gave the Pietà goalkeeper no chance. 

Deep into stoppage time, Balzan could have added another when Effiong received a through pass on the right and anticipated the goalkeeper with a low shot from the edge of the area but his conclusion missed the target by a whisker. 

Balzan's Ricardo Correa was voted as the BOV Player of the match.