Champions showing the way

By Domenic Aquilina

Sliema Wanderers FC remain out in front at the top of the Maltese Premier Division after the first seven games of their title defence.

Mattocks goal
The champions' latest victory came on 23 October, 2-0 against old rivals Floriana FC, and it moved them seven points clear of Birkirkara FC, who admittedly have a game in hand. Sliema were never in trouble with new signing Claude Mattocks scoring against his former club after just five minutes before Danilo Doncic wrapped up the club's sixth win of the campaign.

Still unbeaten
Sliema's success followed on from a creditable 0-0 draw the previous weekend against one of their main challengers Birkirkara and a 3-1 triumph against Marsaxlokk FC. Birkirkara themselves remain unbeaten in six matches and sit level on 12 points with third-placed Valletta FC.

Moving up
Valletta moved up to third with a 3-2 victory against Pieta' Hotspurs FC on 24 October. New signing Nemanja Vukanisovic, Massimo Grima and captain Gilbert Agius scored the goals, and Agius and Grima also scored in the 2-1 win against Saint Patrick FC at the beginning of the month.

Floriana slide
Hibernians FC climbed to fourth after a hard-earned 2-1 win against newcomers Lija Athletic FC, also on 24 October. Michael Gatt put Lija ahead but goals from Andre Schembri and Essien Mbong turned the game in Hibernians' favour. Meanwhile, after an impressive start to the season, those two defeats at the hands of Birkirkara and Sliema, have sent Floriana down to fifth in the table.

Asechemie strike
Marsaxlokk managed to get back to winning ways at the weekend when a last-gasp goal from Minabo Asechemie gave them a 2-1 win against Msida St. Joseph FC. The defeat left Msida fourth from bottom.

Woods again
Even worse off are Pietà Hotspurs FC, who lie in the bottom three having allowed a two-goal lead to slip last week against Msida in a 2-2 draw. The Pietà goalscorers in that match, Cleaven Frendo and Ivan Woods, were on target again at the weekend against Valletta, only for their team to lose 3-2. It is small consolation for Woods that he leads the scorers' chart with nine goals this season.

First points
Second from bottom are Lija, although they finally got off the mark with a 1-0 win against St Patrick last week before the defeat by Hibernians. Having lost two more games - against Valetta and Lija - St Patrick remain in last place and without a point from their first six games.