Mgarr United managed to keep the champions at bay despite playing with a numerical disadvantage after Abigail Camilleri’s red card on the 38th minute.
The Stripes remain on top of the league but they are now joined by Hibernians on 10 points.
Mġarr, on their part, are now on six points after their opening four games of the season.
Joelma scored a brace to inspire Hibernians to victory over Valletta.
The Brazilian has now moved at the top of the league’s scoring charts with six goals.
The other goal, which broke the deadlock, was produced by Ileana Farrugia in the first half.
The Paolites are now joint-leaders with Birkirkara on 10 points while Valletta remain with just a single point.
Swieqi United bounced back to winning ways in the Assikura Women’s League, beating San Ġwann in Matchday 4’s opening game.
The Owls were at the back of a defeat against Birkirkara as they now move to six points after four games.
Dorianne Theuma’s side scored twice in the first half through Ghana players Salamatu Abdulai and Karima Abdulai.
After the break, San Ġwann pulled one back through American forward Hailey Russell but Swieqi made sure of the win through Jade Flask’s first strike of the season.
Lija Athletic scored a first-half winner to beat Mtarfa and move to six points.
Katryna Grech scored the all-important goal to lift Jethron Azzopardi’s side over Mtarfa, who remain without a single point.
MĠARR UNITED 0 – 0 BIRKIRKARA
MĠARR UNITED
G. D’Antuono; A. Said, A. Camilleri, M. Debono, V. Mifsud, Y. Carella (77 R. Borg), L. Cefai, V. Villegas, Y. Mendez, A. Villegas, B. Borg.
Coach: Ryan Vella.
BIRKIRKARA
M. Cachia; G. Zahra (78 A. Vassallo), M. Fenech (63 F. Chircop), Y. Hazekawa, L. Cabral, A. Cassar, R. Giusti, V. Rapa, C. Zammit, C. Schechinger (90 L. May Azzopardi), E. Bispo (90 R. Cheetham).
Coach: Vince Galea.
Referee: Luca Grech.
HIBERNIANS 3 – 0 VALLETTA
HIBERNIANS
E. Harrington; N. Geren (77 A. Galea), C. Ellul, J. Dimech, A. Busuttil, K. Chetcuti (77 M. Borg), L. Ayres (65 Y. Attard), N. Sciberras, I. Farrugia (65 R. Zerafa), A. Espitia (77 M. Camilleri), Joelma,
Coach: Kenneth Costantino
VALLETTA
G. Grima; A. Aloisio, E. Martins, Marcelle Oliveira (77 H. Grima), M. Sultana, L. Muscat (58 S. Fenech), S. Farrugia Sacco (65 S. Bonello Ghio), Y. Grech, E. Micallef, S. Blihi, L. Vella.
Coach: Jean Lopes.
Referee: Kyle Cilia.
SWIEQI UNITED 3 – 1 SAN GWANN
SWIEQI UNITED
P. Araujo; T. Scicluna, S. Urpani (59 M. Conti), J. Flask, E. Xuereb, S. Abdulai, K. Abdulai, S. Zammit, Rafanny, T. Falzon, M. Cachia (59 E. Micallef).
Coach: Dorianne Theuma.
SAN ĠWANN
J. Caruana; A. Rapa, N. Kobayashi, T. Chaimaa, H. Russell, R. Borg, O. Mhalli, S. Gheiti (60 N. Attard), F. Al Girbi, K. Vella (85 T. Muscat), J. Falzon.
Coach: Julian Camilleri.
Referee: Matteo Falzon.
MTARFA 0 – 1 LIJA ATHLETIC
MTARFA
D. Grech; C. Versteegh, N. Espinel, E. Csik, A. Fenech, D. Alvarez, R. Micallef, M. Abdilla, P. Ciappara, R. Zammit, K. Gribbon.
Coach: G. Papaleo.
LIJA ATHLETIC
C. Pisani; S. Bouzid (65 C. Deguara), N. Zarb Cousin, S. Bugeja, E. Marmara, M. Schembir, R. Mifsud (46 D. Camilleri), L. Micallef, V. Honorio, Y. Azzopardi, K. Grech( 90 Y. Zammit).
Coach: J. Azzopardi.
Referee: Matthias Buttigieg.