After losing to Pietà in their last league outing, Balzan failed to go beyond a 1-1 draw with Mosta and now share the fourth place with Floriana.
The draw was a fair result as the two teams shared the exchanges throughout the ninety minutes.
Mosta coach Peter Smith made three changes to the team which lost to Sliema as he replaced Yannick Ossok, Adrian Borg and the injured Haruna Babangida with Mark Brincat, Tyrone Farrugia and Dyson Falzon. Balzan welcomed back Gianmarco Piccioni and Bojan Kaljevic who had missed the last league game. They replaced Samir Arab and Lydon Micallef while goalkeeper Steve Sultana was back in goal, replacing Christian Cassar.
Mosta took the lead on the 7th minute when goalkeeper Steve Sultana partially saved a Ryan Grech effort and off the rebound, Mickael Nicoise Dawood placed the ball at the back of the net.
Balzan equalised three minutes later when Dylan Grima served Bojan Kaljevic who hit hard past goalkeeper Omar Borg.
BALZAN Steve Sultana, Justin Grioli, Dylan Grima (66′ Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza), Oscar Guerrero (81′ Osa Guobadia), Edison Bilbao Zarate, Steve Bezzina, Bojan Kaljevic, Terence Agius (80′ Ryan Darmanin), Clive Brincat, Gianmarco Piccioni, Elkin Serrano Valero.
Subs not used: Christian Cassar, Samir Arab, Godwin Mckay, Sean Cipriott.
Coach: Oliver SpiteriMOSTA Omar Borg, Kurt Magro, Tyrone Farrugia, Mark Brincat, Karl Pulo, Gary Roberts, Ryan Grech, Jonas Rodriguez Ekani, Dyson Falzon (60′ Alieu Darbo), Ian Zammit (74′ Udo Fortune), Mickael Nicoise Dawood.
Subs not used: Kyle Gerada, Adrian Borg, Yannick Ossok, Zachary Brincat, James Brincat.
Coach: Peter SmithReferee: Alan Mario Sant
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, William Debattista
Additional Assistant Referees: Mario Apap, Glenn Tonna
Fourth Official: Andre Arciola
Yellow Cards: C. Brincat, T. Farrugia, G. Roberts, I. Zammit, R. Grech
Scorers: 7′ Mickael Nicoise Dawood (M), 10′ Bojan Kaljevic (B)
BOV Player of the Match: Gary Roberts
Attendance at the Victor Tedesco Stadium: 425
Meanwhile Sliema Wanderers moved to just one place behind Balzan and Floriana after defeating Tarxien Rainbows by the odd goal in five.
Sliema coach Stephen Azzopardi named the same eleven players which had started the game against Mosta. Michael Mifsud and Clifford Gatt Baldacchino returned for the Wanderers after recovering from long-term injuries when they were included as substitutes. The Rainbows, on the other hand, had four changes as Owen Bugeja, Firas Aboulezz, Triston Caruana and Ryan Sammut replaced Kane Farrugia, Manuel Caruana, Alex Cini and Manuel Tabone.
The Wanderers took the lead on the 6th minute when Pedro dos Santos Calcado deflected the ball past Jonathan Debono.
Two minutes later, Tarxien equalised thanks to Edu Vallecillo, served by Carlos Menendez Hevia, who beat Glenn Zammit from inside the area.
The Blues regained the lead on 33 minutes when off a cross by Pedrinho, Mark Scerri’s header was partially saved by Debono with the same player heading the ball home off the rebound.
Tarxien levelled matters on the 69th minute when Firas Aboulezz controlled a pass before hitting the ball past Glenn Zammit.
However two minutes later, Trevor Cilia notched the winner thanks to a solo effort, concluded with a diagonal shot which beat goalkeeper Jonathan Debono.
SLIEMA Glenn Zammit, Alex Muscat (81′ Aidan Jake Friggieri), Filippo Andrea Scozzese, John Mintoff, Mark Scerri, Andrea Pisanu, Marko Potezica, Trevor Cilia (75′ Michael Mifsud), Pedro dos Santos Calcado (86′ Clifford Gatt Baldacchino), Bocar Djumo, Beppe Muscat.
Subs not used: Sam Bartolo, Luca Martinelli, Joseph Borg, Junior Obagbemiro.
Coach: Stephen AzzopardiTARXIEN Jonathan Debono, Owen Bugeja (65′ Kane Paul Farrugia), Triston Caruana, Firas Aboulezz, Eduardo Vallecillo Casado, Ryan Sammut, Carlos Hevia Menendez, Ishmael Grech, Mouhamed Soly, Obinna Ajoku Darlington (46′ Jorge Yepes Roda), Manuel Bonaque Acevedo.
Subs not used: Sean Cini, Steven Marc Sadowski, Manuel Caruana, Manuel Xerri, Matthew Tabone.
Coach: Clive MizziReferee: Esther Azzopardi
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana Sammy Attard
Fourth Official: Sandro Spiteri
Yellow Cards: Grech, Scerri, B. Muscat, Bugeja, B. Djumo
Scorers: 6′ Pedro dos Santos Calcado, 8′ Eduardo Vallecillo Casado, 33′ Mark Scerri, 69′ Firas Aboulezz, 70′ Trevor Cilia
BOV Player of the Match: Mark Scerri
Attendance at the Hibernians Stadium: 570