Qormi, Sliema seek Championship Pool spot

Qormi and Sliema both seek precious points on Sunday as the two teams face each other in a direct clash for a place in the Championship Pool in one of the two matches in programme at the Hibernians Stadium.

Three points separate the two teams with the Blues lying in fifth place and Qormi in seventh place.

Sliema need a win to secure a top six finish. They are coming from three successive draws with Valletta, Tarxien and Hamrun. Josef Mifsud, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino and Danial Mitev should be back after missing the last game.

Qormi, on the other hand, returned to winning ways last week as they defeated Mqabba 4-1. A win is a must to maintain alive hopes of making it to the Championship Pool.

In the first round, the two teams shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw.

Hamrun Spartans will be aiming to return to winning ways as they take on Marsaxlokk in the second game.

The Spartans lost four of the last six matches and they registered their last win early in December. Last week, they managed to hold Sliema in a 1-1 draw.

Marsaxlokk thought they had earned their first point last Sunday after holding Tarxien in a 2-2 draw but the latter were awarded a 2-0 win as the Southseasiders fielded an ineligible player – Ivan Kurtisic – who is now ruled out for the rest of the season. They are yet to register a win in three months.

However the fact that their last win is a 5-3 win over the Spartans should boost their morale.

Marsaxlokk defender Modesto Valeriani will be back after serving a one-match ban. Hamrun striker Anderson Mendes Ribeiro is ruled out through suspension.