The final weekend of the 2006-2007 Premier League season belonged to champions Marsaxlokk who celebrated their first title in style after a 4-1 thumping of runners-up Sliema Wanderers on Sunday.
Victory over their rivals ensured a perfect ending to a successful season for the Blues and their fans who let out a boisterous roar when team skipper Carlo Mamo lifted the coveted championship trophy.
Brian Talbot's men gave another fine display of attacking football on Sunday with Cleaven Frendo handing his team a 1-0 half-time lead with a fine volley after 27 minutes.
Jamie Pace doubled Marsaxlokk's lead three minutes into the second half before Andrè Schembri rammed home their third goal on 69 minutes.
Man-of-the-match Daniel Bogdanovic deservedly put his name on the scoresheet when hitting his team's fourth goal 14 minutes from time to end the league campaign just one goal short of Danilo Doncic's league scoring record of 32 goals.
Chucks Nwoko scored a consolation goal for Sliema late in the game.
Birkirkara clinched a place in the Intertoto Cup next season after sealing third spot in the standings with a 2-0 victory over Hibernians.
The outgoing champions forged ahead after 38 minutes when Etienne Barbara's rising effort cannoned off the crossbar but the ball ricocheted off the body of Hibs goalkeeper Alex Camilleri and rolled into the net.
Barbara's late effort wrapped up the points for Birkirkara who are now hoping that Sliema Wanderers go all the way in the FA Trophy.
As Sliema have already assured themselves of a place in the UEFA Cup thanks to their runners-up position in the league, success in the KO competition for the Wanderers would qualify Birkirkara for the UEFA Cup rather than the less popular Intertoto competition.
Msida St Joseph's hopes of ending their winning drought in the Championship Pool were jolted when the never-say-die Valletta struck twice in the space of three second-half minutes to tie the game at two-all.
The Saints seemed well on their way to victory when Ibrahim Babatunde handed them a two-goal advantage inside the opening 51 minutes. However, the hitherto superior Citizens maintained their composure to restore parity with a two-goal burst, Richmar Siberie converting a 59th-minute penalty and Kurt Magro heading home the equaliser on 62 minutes.
In the Relegation Pool, Marsa made a dignified exit from the Premier League after they chalked up their second win on the trot. On Friday, Marsa overcame Floriana 1-0 courtesy of Emil Yantchev's goal on 71 minutes.
The other bottom-four match produced a goals bonanza on Saturday as St George's, already doomed to Division One, beat Pietà Hotspurs by the odd goal in nine. Saints' striker Lawrence Mizzi, who was named BOV player of the match, and Daniel Gatt, of Pietà, scored a brace apiece.
Statistics
Birkirkara: Mifsud Triganza 11 (2 pens); Barbara 10 (7 pens); M. Galea 6; Mallia 3; Larrosa 3; Camenzuli 2, Briffa 2, Ciantar 2; Paradiso, Calascione, Bonnici, L. Galea, Sbai, Monye, Holland, Zerafa. Own goal: A. Camilleri (vs Hibs) Red cards: Scicluna 3 (vs Msida, vs Sliema 2); Barbara (vs Marsa); Bonnici (vs Msida); M. Galea (vs Valletta). Missed penalty: Barbara (vs Sliema).
Floriana: Mifsud 9 (1 pen.); Gomes 8 (1 pen.); Cilia 6; Micallef 5 (1 pen.); C. Caruana 4; Newell 2; Cassar, Azzopardi, Gauci, Gango-Rtsa, Spasojevic, Buhagiar, Formosa (pen.). Red cards: Micallef (vs Hibs); Micallef (vs Msida); C. Caruana (vs Marsa). Missed penalty: Mifsud (vs Pietà).
Hibs: Scerri 14; Cohen 8 (3 pens); Chukunyere 6; Bartolo 4; Doffo 3 (3 pens); T. Caruana 2, Xuereb 2, Vella 2; Nwoko, Pulis, Farrugia, Spiteri. Red cards: Failla (vs Floriana); Nwoko (vs Sliema); Scerri (vs St George's); Pulis (vs Valletta); Agius (vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Cohen (vs Msida).
Marsa: A. Scerri 4; Bellia 3, Yantchev 3 (2 pens.); Umoru 2, Ewurum 2, Chircop 2; B. Zammit, Cucciardi, K. Scerri, Cutajar. Red cards: Ewurum (vs Valletta); Dalli (vs Marsaxlokk); Fasinelli (vs Sliema); J.P. Zammit (vs Pietà). Missed pens: Yantchev 2 (vs Msida, vs Pietà); Achokwu (vs Pietà).
Marsaxlokk: Bogdanovic 31 (4 pens); Schembri 11; Sammut 9; Doda 8; Pace 3, Frendo 3 (1 pen); C. Mamo 2, Licari 2, Sciberras 2; Garci. Own goals: I. Azzopardi (vs Floriana), Conceicao (vs St George's). Red cards: Sciberras (vs Birkirkara); Dimech (vs Pietà); Wellman, Frendo (both vs B'kara); Haber (vs St George's); Schembri (vs Sliema); Sammut (vs Valletta). Missed penalty: Bogdanovic (vs Pietà).
Msida: Nwoke 13, Babatunde 13 (1 pen); Zongo 4; Baldacchino 3; T. Farrugia 2 (1 pen), Fenech 2; Pullicino, Cachia, Bajada. Red cards: Zongo (vs Birkirkara); Nwoke (vs Pietà); Babatunde (vs Sliema); Vella (vs Marsa); Zongo, Fenech (both vs Valletta). Missed penalty: Pullicino (vs Marsa).
Pietà: Deanov 6; Kondev 4 (2 pens); Kokavessis 3; Theuma 2 (1 pen), Decesare 2, Gatt 2, Refalo 2, Camenzuli 2; Debono, Pulo, Galabov, Ciscaldi, Mifsud. Own goal: Formosa (vs Floriana). Red cards: Camenzuli, Sammut (both vs St George's); Okonkwo, Calleja, Theuma (all vs Hibs); Okonkwo (vs Valletta); Camilleri (vs Msida); Hogg (vs Marsa). Missed penalty: Deanov (vs Msida), Kondev (vs St George's).
Sliema: Woods 20 (5 pens); Madzar 7; Nwoko 5; Muscat 4, Bajada 4; Anonam 2, Galea 2, Svoboda 2 (1 pen); Chetcuti, Scerri, Giglio, Di Lello. Red card: Di Lello (vs Hibs). Missed penalties: Woods 3 (vs Marsa, vs Msida, vs Marsaxlokk).
St George's: Effiong 7; Mizzi 5; Conceicao 3 (3 pens); Schembri 2; Sciberras, Pace, Do Nascimento, Spiteri, Abela, Grima. Red cards: Do Nascimento (vs Pietà); Lagana (vs Birkirkara); Schembri 2 (vs Hibs, vs Pietà), Brincat (vs Floriana), Mizzi (vs Floriana). Missed penalties: Do Nascimento 2 (vs Pietà, vs Marsaxlokk).
Valletta: Monesterolo 16 (1 pen); Agius 9 (1 pen); Siberie 7 (2 pens); Falzon 4; Nisevic 3, Zammit 3 (1 pen.), Magro 3; Zarb 2, Edafe 2, Grima 2; Grioli, Barbara, Camilleri. Own goal: Xuereb (vs Hibs). Red cards: Nisevic (vs Marsaxlokk); Edafe (vs Sliema). Missed penalty: Monesterolo (vs Msida).
Next fixtures - FA Trophy - semi-finals
National Stadium
Friday
Hibernians vs Valletta 7.30 p.m.
Sunday
Msida SJ vs Sliema tba
Final - Friday, May 25.