HIBERNIANS- 1
MOSTA- 4
Hibernians: R. Briffa, R. Gomes (D. Dos Santos), J. Pearson, J. Lima (J. Degabriele), R. Soares, M. Dias, A. Cohen, B. Kristensen, C. Failla, Jorginho, J. Silva
Mosta: Y. Cini, T. Farrugia, M. Micallef, O. Guobadia, R. Grech (M. Malik), R. Ekani, I. Zammit, E. Murga, M. Brincat, B. Frederick (J. Brincat), E. Micheletti
Referee: M. Apap
Asst.refs: 4th official: J. Spiteri, P. Apap
4th official: A. Arciola
Scorers: J. Silva 28, O. Guobadia 38, R. Ekani 48, I. Zammit 71 pen, E. Murga 81
Yellow cards: R. Grech, E. Murga, M. Dias, R. Gomes, R. Soares
Red card: E. Murga
Player of the match: I. Zammit (Mosta)
TMI top 3: 1. E. Murga 2. I. Zammit 3. M. Micallef
Attendance: 1,010
Hibernians’ flimsy rearguard, compunded by most of their players performing below par, lead to their first defeat of the season, against a spirited Mosta side, that cancelled the Paolites’ lead before halftime and tilted the momentum completely in their favour in the second as they hit three more goals past ragged opponents.
With this humiliating defeat Hibernians thus missed the chance to catch up with Balzan at the top while Mosta move into the top half of the standings after their recent slump.
Both teams needed to show improvement after disappointing results the previous week. Champions Hibernians were left to rue missed chances in their 1-1 draw against Pembroke, while Mosta, winless in their last three matches, were heavily beaten 3-1 by Balzan.
Hibernians were without the suspended defender Andrei Agius, replaced by Rui Gomes, as Marcelo Dias returned in the starting line-up instead of Joseph Mbong.
Hibernians did the early running and started like the same incisive side that usually demolishes defences and kills opponents early. They tested Mosta keeper Yenz Cini in the opening minutes through a Dias shot, turned into a corner, and a Failla freekick that was capably dealt with.
Mosta remained composed though and when Hibernians lost some of their early rhythm, they looked capable of pulling themselves back into the game. The runs of Micheletti from midfield, combined with the powerplay of Murga and Frederick, were always an embarassment for the Paolites.
On 18 minutes, Murga ran inside the Hibernians area on a Micheletti pass, and fell under the onrushing keeper’s challenge but was adjudged by the referee to have faked his fall and was shown a yellow card.
Still, Hibernians were the first to score short of the half hour. Tyrone Farrugia was outpaced by Jorginho’s progress on the right, allowing him to cross low for the unmarked Jorge Silva to hit past the helpless Cini.
And it could have been two for the champions six minutes later as Jorginho beat the Mosta offside trap, advanced inside the Mosta area and when faced by the goalkeeper, Farrugia cleared the ball into a corner with a well-timed challenge.
Having struggled to find the space and control to construct a meaningful attack, Mosta came to life in the final part of the half and managed to draw level on 38 minutes. Murga’s free kick from some 25 metres out thumped against the goal junction and with keeper Briffa completely out of sorts, Osa Guobadia easily knocked the ball over the line.
Hibernians should have gone in front again two minutes before the break but Jorginho shot wide when served by Soares.
Frustration and grumbling among the Hibernians’ fans had been already in evidence but that increased when the champions fell behind hardly three minutes into the second half. On Micallef’s long ball forward, Gomes and Soares were caught wide open against the incursion of Rodrigues Ekani who blasted in from the edge of the area.
Mosta were caught in a funny situation on 55 minutes when keeper Cini rushed out of his area on the left to block Dias who crossed for Jorge Silva to head the ball in but with only one opponent standing on the line, the goal was ruled out for offside.
On the other end, Frederick was through, but with only the keeper to beat, he lofted the ball.
It became almost a repeated occurance for the Hibernians’ backline to be caught outnumbered after that, with Murga and Frederick failing to capitalise on these occasions.
On 65 minutes Denni Dos Santos went in for Gomes but six minutes later Soares floored the energetic Murga inside the area to concede a penalty, which stand-in capatin Ian Zammit tucked away to seal the issue.
The contest remained alarmingly short of quality, however, and the only controversy came ten minutes from the end with Mosta’s fourth goal, courtesy of Edin Murga’s blistering shot after again exploiting openings in the Hibernians’ defence. The referee’s decision to show Murga a second yellow card and eventual dismissal, as the scorer lifted his shirt over his head, was farcical indeed.
Hibernians increased the pressure in the dying stages but they could find few attacking options despite the inclusion of Jurgen Degabriele.
The final whistle was met with suitable booes from the Hibernians’ fans after such a woeful showing.
BIRKIRKARA - 4
ST ANDREWS - 0
Birkirkara: J. Haber, C. Attard, R. Camenzuli (K. Zammit), Z. Muscat, E. Marcelina, G. Sciberras, P. Fenech, R. Scicluna (E. Agius), F. Miccoli (J. Barroso), V. Plut, E. Liliu
St Andrews: D. Rossetto, C. Cumbo (M. Senitaj), J. Williams, M. Johnson, N. Andreis, D. Camilleri, M. Guillaumier, L. Cosmai (J. Walker), J. Farrugia, K. Nwoko, C. De Nguiajon
Referee: F. Zammit
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, P. Abela
4th official: M. Borg
Scorers: F. Miccoli 12 pen, 53, V. Plut 58, Liliu 90
Yellow cards: D. Rossetto, R. Scicluna
Player of the match: P. Fenech (Birkirkara)
TMI top 3: 1. V. Plut 2. P. Fenech 3. D. Camilleri
Stripes keep flying as Saints’ woes grow
St Andrews’ woeful run in the BoV Premier League continued as they were soundly beaten by Birkirkara with four clear goals, to remain winless at the bottom of the standings after seven matches.
The Saints’ limitations had been thoroughly exposed by the pace, movement and workrate of a Birkirkara side apparently superior in all departments.
Although Birkirkara were highly erratic, they played with such a menace that kept their opponents constantly on edge. It was down to their high profligacy that the Stripes did not score more goals.
Still without Edward Herrera, Nikola Vukanac and the suspended Mauricio Mazzetti, Birkirkara were also bereft of Joseph Zerafa and Rowen Muscat yesterday.
As expected, Birkirkara made the more assertive start, putting their opponents under early pressure and pushing five or six players into the St Andrews’ box.
They made the breakthrough after 12 minutes when awarded a penalty after the Birkirkara defender Attard was tripped by keeper Rossetto inside the box. Fabrizio Miccoli sent the keeper the wrong way to give Birkirkara the lead. Many might have feared a goal deluge but that did not materialise because of some excessive profligacy from Birkirkara that kept St Andrews still in contention until halftime.
Despite all their sheer dominance, Birkirkara failed to add to their advantage. Liliu narrowly missed the target with a curling high shot after the ball ran freely in his path inside the Saints area on the left. The Birkirkara forward had his effort footed out by keeper Rossetto on 20 minutes as the Plut and Liliu combination continued to cause problems to the Saints’ reaguard. Fenech’s shot from a distance went slightly over before Scicluna failed to put his header on target from a Miccoli corner. Miccoli himself should have scored again before the break but shot Camenzuli’s inviting cross inches wide.
Soon after the interval, Birkirkara had a Plut header saved by keeper Rossetto and Miccoli missed an easy chance when the Saints’ defence was caught napping.
But St Andrews cracked again, for the second time in the match, on 53 minutes. Miccoli took the ball in his stride and twice went past the peripheral presence of defender Anreis through the middle, before playing one-two with Liliu and scoring with a low drive.
Towards the hour, the St Andrews keeper denied Zach Muscat, turning his spectacular overhead kick into a corner, but was rendered helpless by Vito Plut’s looping header, off a Sciberras cross, on 58 minutes.
With the points virtually secured, and St Andrews still left chasing shadows, it was such a sorry sight to watch Johnson miss the target with a free header and a gaping goal at his mercy, and later Nwoke’s effort blocked by a team mate.
There were still narrow escapes for the Saints towards the end, with substitute Barroso clipping the inside of the post with a curling shot for Birkirkara and keeper Rossetto repelling Liliu’s powerful shot, and time for Birkirkara to score their fourth on the stroke of full time. Liliu chased Barroso’s through ball from the middle to steer the ball low past the goalkeeper.