Hibernains 4
Mqabba 1
Hibernians extended their lead at the top of the standings yesterday evening after an easy win against a 10-man Mqabba side.
The Paolites’ seventh consecutive win was made easier after Mqabba lost their best striker Mamic for a bad foul on Failla after only 14 minutes. At that juncture, Mqabba had just reduced the arrears after going 2-0 in arrears in the first nine minutes.
The three points have given the Paolites a four-point lead over Valletta, but the citizens have tomorrow’s match against rivals Floriana in hand.
In the first half, the match started with both teams looking like a house on fire. The league leaders quickly took a 2-0 lead, but Mqabba hit back to reduce the gap soon after.
It was when Mamic was sent off that the game lost much of its interest. From then on, the Paolites were in absolute command as Mqabba defended grimly and rarely, if ever, managed to reach the Hibs penalty area.
Yet, despite their dominance, the Paolites failed to score again.
In the second half, the Paolites maintained their dominance mainly thanks to the outbursts on the right flank of Brazilian striker Marcelo Dias, easily the best player on the field of play.
With just 10 men against the leaders, Mqabba had little hope of securing something, especially after the ‘usual’ Luis Edison dos Santos scored the third goal. By then the match was over even if there was still time for a beauty of a goal by Peter Anizoba near the end.
Hibernians could not have had a better start. In fact, they stormed into a lead by the second minute when Dos Santos set Dias on the left flank. The latter entered the area to square low for Failla to hit home a brilliant first timer.
The score became 2-0 on the ninth minute with a similar action. It was, in fact, Dos Santos who found Dias on the left flank. The latter again crossed low for Failla who beat Calleja with a low shot.
Barely a minute had passed and Mqabba reduced the arrears. A harmless looking Mamic cross from the far left seemed to have deceived Muscat with the ball ending at the back of the net.
The drama continued as two minutes later, Mqabba ended with 10 men – Mamic was shown a direct red card after a bad foul on Failla.
On the 21st minute, Hibs almost scored another, but Cohen’s freekick flashed past the upright.
Hibernians re-established their two-goal lead seven minutes into the second half with an excellently executed goal. It was again Dias who was the protagonist as he sped past at least two Mqabba defenders to square the ball to Luis Edison dos Santos who had absolutely no difficulty to plant the ball into the empty net.
Dias was again in action on the 54th minute when he set Herrera, but the latter’s shot was turned onto the post by Calleja.
The Mqabba goalie then had to rush out of his charge to block Failla’s shot.
And Mqabba’s task became even more difficult when Branislav Timotic was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Dos Santos and was obviously red-carded, leaving his side in nine men.
Before the final whistle, it was substitute Peter Anizoba who sealed the issue with a goal of rare beauty – a shot from the edge of the area into the top left hand corner.
Hibernians: M. Muscat, R. Camilleri, A. Xuereb, A. Pulis, R. Soares, M. Dias (P. Anizoba), A. Cohen, C. Failla, E. Herrera (S. Pisani), B. Kristensen (J. Pearson), E. Dos Santos.
Coach: Mark Miller.
Mqabba FC: K. Calleja, P. Grima, M. Potezica, B. Timotic, M.A. Psaila, M. Briffa, D. Azzopardi, T. Mazzitelli (R. Duca) , C. Calleja, C. Micallef (JP Muscat), B. Mamic.
Coach: C. Mizzi
Referee: C. Pisani.
Assit refs: W. Debattista, P. Apap.
4th official: M. Apap.
Scorers: C. Failla 2, 9, B. Mamic 10, E. dos Santos 52, P. Anizoba 90
Yellow cards: C. Micallef, M. Potezica, A. Cohen, B. Timotic, M A Psaila, C. Failla,
Red cards: B. Mamic 13, B. Timotic 75,
Player of the match: C. Failla (Hibernians)
TMI Top 3: 1. M. Dias 2. C. Failla; 3. A. Cohen