BIRKIRKARA -   2

HIBERNIANS-   0             

Birkirkara: H. Bonello, E. Herrera, C. Bubalovic, G. Sciberras, M. Andelkovic, M. Guillaumier (R. Scicluna), N. Vukanac, J. Zerafa, M. Alba, V. Plut (P. Jovic), S. Dimitrov (E. Agius)

Hibernians: A. Hogg, R. Soares, D.Boljevic (J. Bezzina), J. Lima, M. Dias, C. Failla, B. Kristensen, Jorginho, J. Degabriele (M. Jallow), G. Ribeiro, A. Agius

Referee: F. Zammit

Asst.refs: L. Portelli, S. Attard

Additional asst.refs: S. Pace, E. Grech

4th official: A. Camilleri

Scorers: V. Plut 12, N. Vukanac 63

Yellow cards: G. Ribeiro, M. Dias, M. Alba, S. Dimitrov, J. Zerafa, H. Bonello

Red card: M. Alba

Player of the match: G. Ribeiro (Hibernians)

TMI top 3: 1. B. Kristensen  2. G. Ribeiro  3. M. Andelkovic

Attendance: 1,972

 

This defeat by Birkirkara trimmed Hibernians’ lead to only two points above Balzan, with two fixtures remaining in the BoV Premier League.

Though it would be out of character for Hibernians to lose their nerve now, with St Andrews and Tarxien being their next opponents, perhaps Birkirkara have shown the blueprint for beating, or at least negating, the league leaders.

Birkirkara’s goals came one in each half through Vito Plut and Nikola Vukanac, after which the Stripes were down to ten men for the last 25 minutes but still managed to hold to a win.

The only possible complaint that could be directed at Birkirkara after this game, is the question of why they have not played with this kind of authority more often thsi season. This win lifts them one point behind third placed Valletta.

Coach Jaros can take enormous satisfaction from the way his players out-fought and frustrated the league leaders and scored in crucial moments although Hibernians dominated possession for long stretches, without managing to break them down.

In all fairness, the Paolites were twice denied by the woodwork but failed to capitalise on their chances, even when playing with an extra man.

Both teams were at full strength, with Vito Plut again confirmed in the Stripes starting line-up, wide on the right, to support Srdan Dimitrov as Miguel Alba played wide on the left.

Hibernians started with Dejan Boljevic as left back to allow Clayton Failla to advance further down the flank. They dropped midfielder Johann Bezzina to the bench.

Birkirkara opened well and were in front after only 12 minutes. Vito Plut headed an Alba cross past keeper Hogg.

Hibernians’ response came past the quarter hour. Ribeiro found space in front of him as a Failla cross was headed out by the Birkirkara defence, but he skied the ball.

Biekirkara remained threatening on the counter though. On 24 minutes, an Alba powerful drive from a distance was fisted out by keeper Hogg.

The Paolites seemed to have recovered from their early nerves by the half-hour mark. Degabriele was fouled in midfield as he set Ribeiro down the left and with Hibernians awarded the advantage, his shot was fisted out by keeper Bonello in the path of Kristensen, whose grounder was again saved by the Birkirkara keeper into a corner.

Photos Jonathan Bugeja

Birkirkara’s chances began to dry up and when Dimitrov played the ball wide to the advancing Alba, the latter put his effort off target.

Hibernians were still obliged to climb back into the game and on the stroke of halftime, a Lima shot from a distance was turned into a corner by keeper Bonello with some difficulty.

They thought they had equalised two minutes after the restart when Agius headed in a Lima free kick but the flag went up for an offside. A Ribeiro free kick from 25 metres out went narrowly wide.

Short of the hour, Hibernians went close again. Jorginho played a square pass to the unmarked Failla who clipped the bar with keeper Bonello beaten.

But as Birkirkara were absorbing the Paolites’ pressure, they doubled their lead past the hour. The Hibernians’ defence looked static on a Dimitrov corner kick from the right and defender Nikola Vukanac rose to head low with keeper Hogg rooted to his line.

And hardly two minutes later, the match took another twist. Birkirkara’s Miguel Alba was sent off for a second bookable offence, after a foul on  Dias.

Hibernians introduced Johann Bezzina for Boljevic and desperately kept pushing for a goal, although with much less conviction.

Nothing happened for the best part of a quarter of an hour. Hibernians continued to look reluctant to take the game to Birkirkara with only Ribeiro willing to break with some purpose.

On 80 minutes the Brazilian sent the ball across the face of the Birkirkara goal but neither Jorginho nor Degabriele managed to make contact.

There was some anxiety to endure in the final moments but the introduction of Predrag Jovic and Edmond Agius ensured the Stripes preserved their lead till the end.

SLIEMA WANDERERS-  1

MOSTA-                           1

Sliema W: G. Sarao, A. Muscat, J. Pearson, D. Dos Santos, R. Spiteri, M. Muchardi, S. Biancardi, R. Duarte, L. Incorvaia, J. Mintoff (J. P. Farrugia), F. Temile (M. Sansone)

Mosta: A. Vella, D. Fenech (Z. Brincat), T. Farrugia, K. Magro, K. Frendo, J. P. Mifsud Triganza (D. Xuereb), M. Toth, C.Hengbart, N. Priso (N. Frendo), R. Ekani, P. Calcado

Referee: S. Spiteri

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, W. Debattista

4th official: D. Stankovic

Scorers: J.P. Mifsud Triganza 25, R. Duarte 54

Yellow cards: P. Calcado, J.P. Farrugia, J. Pearson, D. Dos Santos

Red card: P. Calcado

Player of the match: D. Dos Santos (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. R. Duarte  2. K. Frendo  3. M. Muchardi

 

Struggling Mosta gave a creditable display that looked set fair to gain a valuable point against Sliema Wanderers at Ta’ Qali yesterday, after playing with ten men for almost a whole hour.

Mosta are still adrift of a safe position. However, their gutsy display proves they are up for the fight.

After being slapped with a five-point deduction for payment irregularities in midweek, and Pembroke’s win against Hamrun Spartans on Saturday, Mosta started the match in bottom place. They had everything to play for.

After taking the lead midway through the opening half, they were reduced to ten men after Pedro Calcado was the wrong man to be sent off following two bookings.

That sapped the wind from Mosta’s sails but Johann Scicluna’s boys still showed guile to hold for a point in a scrappy and scruffy match. The second half had been a largely featureless affair, notable only for Sliema’s equaliser.

Mosta initially were facing some difficulties against an in-form Sliema side, yesterday deprived of the suspended Peter Xuereb and naming Mark Scerri and Jean Paul Farrugia as substitutes.

However they pestered Sliema’s rearguard and after six minutes Calcado played a through pass to Mifsud Triganza who shot straight on keeper Sarao’s outstretched body.

Sliema twice went close after that. A Dennis shot took a wicked deflection into a corner and then, when Fenech failed to clear inside the Mosta area, Incorvaia’s shot was turned into another corner.

Mosta were rewarded midway through the half when a Fenech cross fell to Calcado who controlled the ball before shooting low against the foot of the post and the rebound fell to the unmarked Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, standing in front of goal to hit in. The goal brought protests from the Sliema players for an alleged offside position.

Mosta kept up the rhythm but the match took a twist on 35 minutes. Calcado, who had been already booked, was adjudged by the referee to have pushed a Sliema player to the ground and showed him a second yellow card and eventually sent him off. The Mosta player involved in the incident was in fact Kurt Magro and Mosta rightly claimed a case of mistaken identity.

Sliema however failed to exploit their numerical advantage before halftime and the closest they could get to an equaliser was a Temile central header off a Mintoff cross.

They put in Jean Paul Farrugia after the interval as the Wanderers started the second half with more purpose. And it took them less than ten minutes to draw level. They were awarded a free kick just outside Mosta’s area, for a Hengbart foul, and Ricardo Duarte drove his shot at the top left hand corner.

There were chances at both ends after that. Priso shot over when put clear by Ekani and Denni’s effort was blocked by keeper Vella after good work by Temile.

Sliema were unlucky on 70 minutes. Muchardi played the ball wide to Muscat who drilled his shot against the bar.

Mosta were content to admire Sliema’s neat build-ups and keep them at bay on the edge of their area.

Not that Sliema’s shot count was much impressive. For all the cultured touches shown by Duarte, Muchardi and Denni, the Mosta keeper remained mostly inoperative. And when Farrugia netted, on a Denni through pass, the goal was disallowed for an offside position.