Birkirkara moved second, two points ahead of Gzira United and four ahead of Mosta and Balzan thanks to a most comfortable 5-0 win over Hibernians at the National Stadium on Sunday.
For the Paolites, this defeat was another setback as this leaves them in sixth place, one point behind Mosta and Balzan.
Birkirkara took the lead on the 5th minute when off an assist by Enzo Cabrera from the left, Andrei Ciolacu hit low past goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone.
Alessandro Coppola doubled the score on the 21st minute with a powerful first time effort following a cross by Denis Custodio Ribeiro from the left.
Six minutes later, Ferdinando Apap lost the ball to Paul Mbong just outside the area and the latter entered the area and hit home past Kone.
Seven minutes from the end of the first half, Paul Mbong scored again, this time chesting the ball past the goalkeeper following a cross by Yankam from the left.
Hibernians were unlucky to hit the foot of the upright through Gabriel Mensah but thirteen minutes in the second half, Andrei Ciolacu scored the fifth goal for Birkirkara with a first time effort off a cross by Simon Zibo from the left.