After suffering five successive defeats, Balzan returned to winning ways as two goals in the first half handed them a 2-1 win over Sirens.
This win revives hopes of securing a top-six finish as they now lie just four points behind sixth-placed Sirens. For Sirens, this was a highly disappointing result as they were aiming for a positive score in order to edge closer to making it to the top six. With two matches to play for each team, they lie just one point ahead of Gudja and two ahead of Valletta.
Balzan made three changes from their last match against Gudja U. Injured Augustine Loof, Marcus Grima, and Bojan Kaljevic were replaced with Alvin Kevin Daniels, Gary Camilleri, and Aleksa Andrejic. On the other hand, in the starting line-up Sirens replaced Jacob Walker and Marios Lomis with Diego Albanese and Vitor Vieira.
In the 7th minute Sirens had the first attempt at goal with an effort from the edge of the area by Vitor Vieira which ended just wide.
In the 23rd minute, Vukasin Vranes saved a direct free-kick taken by Bogdan Gavrila.
In the 28th minute, Balzan took the lead. Uros Ljubomirac served ALEKSA ANDREJIC whose diagonal shot from the right beat goalkeeper Jonathan Debono.
In the 34th minute, Sirens replied with another freekick taken by Bogdan Gavrila but Vukasin Vranes was there to push the ball away.
In the 35th minute, Balzan doubled the score. Following from a pass from the right Aleksa Andrejic dribbled his way into the area and served unmarked UROS LJUBOMIRAC who managed to beat goalkeeper Debono with a fierce shot.
In the second half, Sirens came out in search of a goal that would put them back in contention.
In the 52nd minute, following a freekick taken by Bogdan Gavrila, Henrique Marcelino Motta went close with a header.
On the hour, Diego Albanese served Vitor Vieira from the left but the latter’s effort from the edge of the area was blocked by Vukasin Vranes.
Sirens insisted and in the 66th minute, Vitor Vieira just missed the target.
Minutes later, Balzan reacted. Following a freekick by Milos Mijic, a Bojan Kaljevic header was saved by Jonathan Debono.
Five minutes in added time, Sirens pulled one back thanks to former Balzan forward ALFRED EFFIONG whose low shot from outside the area managed to beat Vukasin Vranes.
BALZAN: Vukasin Vranes, Milan Djuric (Adam Bradshaw 93’), Paul Fenech, Alvin Kevin Daniels (Bojan Kaljevic 62’), Michael Johnson, Uros Ljubomirac (Suleiman Jalu 93’), Milos Zlatkovic, Gary Camilleri, Milos Mijic, Aleksa Andrejic (Neil Frendo 78’), Sean Cipriott.
SIRENS: Jonathan Debono, Henrique Marcelino Motta, Conor Borg (Alfred Effiong 74’), Bogdan Gavrila (Degran Jackson 60’), Diego Albanese, Adrian Borg, Carlo Zammit Lonardelli, Alexander Cini, Francis William Avoce (Marios Lomis 38’), Vitor Vieira, Neto Renato Cardoso Porto.
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
BOV Player of the Match: Uros Ljubomirac (Balzan)