HIBERNIANS- VALLETTA       3-1

 

Reports Silvio Vella, Photos Jonathan Borg

 

This was an ugly win rather prised from motivated opponents, after a promising start from nearest challengers Valletta whose early lead from Alliyu, might have brought probability of a Paolites' first defeat. Yet Valletta were undone by lack of discipline,having two of their most influential players, Jonathan Caruana and Ryan Fenech sent off within six minutes from the first half hour.

It then felt comfortable enough for Hibernians in the second half as they exploited their numerical superiority with goals from Andrew Cohen and a brace from Joirginho to earn their 14th league win.

In the end, Hibernians will be unconcerned as to how it was chiselled out. Their advantage at the top of the BoV Premier League is now extended to a significant 15 points, a pristine undefeated record retained in the process.

Yet the rest was more of a slog, an occasion illuminated more by Andrew Cohen's  individual running beyond Valletta defenders than flashes of neat invention from the attacking players who have propelled this team to date.

Hibernians' tempo was rarely as upbeat as normal Luis Edison and Jorginho starved of service up front. This might have been understandable, considering that Valletta needed to win and had to do the running.

Both teams went into this match in some vein of good form. Valletta had won their previous seven matches, keepeing five clean sheets in all competitions.

Hibernians had conceded only one goal in their last seven wins in all competitions.

There were no major sursprises in either side, the only change of note was perthaps  the return of Marcelo Dias for Mbong in the Hibernians' starting line-up.

In the opening stages, the 12-point margin between the two top sides was never in evidence though, especially after Lateef Alliyu gave Valletta the lead with 22 minutes play. He picked Fenech's long cross, cut in from the right inside the Hibernians area, resisting the challenge of keeper Bonello before driving the ball in.

The goal apart, the match's defining moments were the dismissal of two Valletta players within six minutes. Past the half hour, Dias was involved in a foul with Caruana in midfield and the referee adjudged the Valletta defender to have retaliated and showed him a red card.

The same fate fell to Ryan Fenech, one of the best players on the pitch until then, on 37 minutes. Having been booked before, he was shown a second yellow card and eventually dismissed after committing an ugly challenge on Dias.

Two men down and withdrawing Nafti for defender Luke Dimech, Valletta lost much of their early swagger. Their laid-back approach handed Hibernians the initiative as the leaders searched for an equaliser. But Edison's effort was blocked by keeper Vella and when Failla's freekick rebounded in the path of Cohen, the Hibernians' skipper shot over.

Valletta might have still harboured aspirations of taking something from this match but their hopes were soon dashed seven minutes into the second half.

Andrew Cohen latched on a floating ball on the edge of the Valletta area and hit it past keeper Vella.

The Hibernians skipper ran havoc  inside the Valletta rearguard five minutes later before playing a square ball to Jorginho to beat keeper Vella with a low diagonal strike.

With Valletta falling in arrears, they introduced Hugo Faria to win more stability in midfield. To make matters worse, the injured Bajada was forced to leave the pitch past the hour.

Amid the huffing and puffing Valletta had tame efforts by Hamza Barry but their defence was pierced for the third time in the dying minutes. Jorginho advanced towards goal on the left and slipped the ball beyond keeper Vella's reach with Valletta depleted in number and by then effectively defeated.

 

QORMI - SLIEMA WANDERERS 1-3

 

A lively Djumo Bocar, skipper Mark Scerri and a spectacular finish by youngster Aiden Friggieri helped Sliema Wanderers return to winning ways after defeats against Floriana and Hibernians. The Wanderers have now caught up with Balzan into fifth place on the 19-point mark.

Qormi disappointingly stretched their winless streak to six matches and some apprehension must now be creeping into their side. Despite playing with three forwards yesterday, they carved out very few opportunities and struggled to trouble Sliema's rearguard.

It would be unfair to dismiss it as a complete non-event because the match produced four goals - thanks to Sliema's three and another from Qormi- but distrust anyone who claims it was not gruelling viewing.

Both coaches were unable to field their strongest teams because of injuries and suspensions.

Qormi were depleted without their suspended regulars Zoran Levnaic, Bjorn Bondin and Mauricio Mazzetti, while Joseph Chetcuti and Emerson Vella were only named among the substitutes.

Sliema also had Fabio Mangiacasale suspended as Michael Mifsud was an additional absentee because of fitness problems that have plagued Stephen Azzopardi's squad this season.

The teams started as if they had just emerged from hibernation on a sunny afternoon at Ta' Qali. It was a shock when, after 24 minutes of nothingness, Sliema plundered a goal.

Djuma Bocar took the ball neatly in his stride after some hesitation in the Qormi defence and shot from a tight angle from the byeline on the left, with the ball cleared by a Qormi defender when it seemed to have already crossed the goal line.

Qormi's response past the half hour came from Effiong who accelerated inside the area on the right, his low drive was held out by the outstretched keeper Zammit and Viggiani failed to put the loose ball on target.

Amid the fragmentation of the rest of the first half Bocar, Effiong and, to a lesser extent, Aiden Friggieri were the only sources of creativity. Three minutes before the break Bocar went past Jonathan Bondin but was blocked by the onrushing keeper Farrugia inside the Qormi area.

Qormi tried feebly to turn up the heat in the second period. As they did most of the running, Sliema had to withdraw the injured defender Beppe Muscat, stretchered off after 52 minutes, to be replaced by Luca Martinelli.

Qormi also put in Joseph Chetcuti for some better inventive towards the hour. The substitute played a square ball to Effiong who miskicked the ball in front of the Sliema goal.

Play remained pungent until there was a vague whiff of excitement on 69th minute, as Sliema broke away with Mintoff whipping a long ball wide to the advancing Gnabouyou whose shot was parried by the Qormi keeper, only to roll invitingly in the pacth of Mark Scerri to steer it in a gaping goal.

Qormi pulled one back only two minutes later. Bondin's deep cross from the right fell to Micallef whose low cross shot was knocked in by Frank Temile from close range.

But it took Sliema only one more minute to restore their two-goal lead. The young Aden Friggieri, in his first start for the Wanderers this season, cut inside the Qormi area from the right anad beat keeper Farrugia with an exquisite curling shot.

After that three-minute goal-splurge, stagnation set in again and for the remaining minutes Sliema could defend their lead with minimal difficulty against opponents resigned to their fate.