BACK TO BREAD AND BUTTER NATIONAL LEAGUE BUSINESS

After the usual festive season recess, the 53 club teams forming part of the four MFA National League Divisions sponsored by Bank of Valletta will resume their bread and butter business, with all the teams involved in various venues from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th January with the exception of Third Division side Kalkara FC.   Although all contestants will concentrate on their particular match in the hope that they will collect maximum points, the main focus will be on the top division where Premier League teams will be on their 17th outing of a long trek which started in August last year and which will end after two rounds on the 11th February. This last round robin series of matches will be followed by the final phase after the twelve teams are split equally into the championship and relegation pools. The plum fixture is undoubtedly the one between the leaders Hibernians (32 points) and second-placed Valletta (30) to be played at the National Stadium on Saturday. Another important clash is between the 3rd and 4th classified teams, Birkirkara and Tarxien Rainbows, scheduled for the Hibernians Stadium. These are two matches that should whet the appetite of the teams’ supporters besides that of many neutral followers who are envisaging an enthralling run-up to the end of the first phase in just over five weeks’ time. The First Division programme is equally attractive as front-runners Lija Athletic, on 20 points, are due to meet second-placed Naxxar Lions who are one point adrift. The match to be played at Luxol Ground on Sunday is also expected to draw a sizeable crowd. Third-placed Marsaxlokk (18 points) hope to maintain the challenge when they play third from bottom Dingli Swallows (8 points) at the Victor Tedesco on Saturday.  The Second Division pace-makers, Żebbuġ Rangers with 25 points, will confront middle of the table team Pembroke (17 points) at Luxol Ground in what could be an opportunity for the leaders to extend their points’ tally from 13 matches. Msida St Joseph, three points behind in second position, will face third-placed San Ġwann (20 points) at the Centenary Stadium. Both these matches will be played on Saturday. The surprise package in the Third Division, Marsaskala, who top the standings with 29 points from 12 outings, will cross swords with Santa Luċija fourth from bottom on 10 points, on Sunday at the Centenary Stadium, while runners-up Mdina Knights (27 points), the other relative newcomers to league football, are due to play bottom team Luqa St Andrews at the Charles Abela Stadium, Mosta, on the same day. As can be seen from such a comprehensive programme of matches it should be a weekend of enjoyable fare played in the best of sporting spirit.