Birkirkara dropped another two important points as they only managed to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw with Gudja United at the Centenary Stadium on Wednesday.
The Stripes are now seventh on 14 points, two behind Naxxar and Hibernians and five behind Marsaxlokk and Sliema. On the other hand, this sixth draw for Gudja in ten matches put them on level points with Santa Lucia, three ahead of bottom-placed Sirens.
Gudja forged ahead three minutes from the end of the first half thanks to a goal by Marvin Santiago Angulo Perea who placed the ball past goalkeeper Marcel Zapytowski following a cross from the right.
However eleven minutes from time, Birkirkara equalised thanks to an Andrei Ciolacu penalty after he was brought down inside the area.
In the dying minutes, the Stripes were reduced to ten men after substitute Nicholas James Agius received a straight red card.