Birkirkara survived a bruising encounter on Friday as a late Alessandro Coppola goal earned them a hard-fought victory over rivals Valletta.

Valletta will have their regrets, given that despite Birkirkara’s dominance, the Stripes struggled to create goal-scoring chances.

The Lilywhites got numbers behind the ball and looked to have achieved their objective of a draw before the defender’s goal. But Coppola scored with a weakly hit header from a few metres out after the ball fell to him at a corner.

The rivalry that lit up Maltese football in the new millennium and beyond, has lost much of its attraction this season, nonetheless, these rivals regarded this match as decisive in their bid to attain their redefined aspirations – both seeking to find some consistency and stability after their late struggles.

Read the full story on the Times of Malta sports website...