HIBERNIANS 3
MOSTA 0
Hibernians: A. Hogg, M. Kreuzriegler, J. Mbong, J. Lima (D. Vella), R. Soares, C. Failla (T. Tabone Desira), J. Degabriele (J. Bezzina), B. Kristensen, J. Elias, A. Agius, M. Sahanek
Mosta: A. Vella, L. Ferreira, T. Farrugia, T. Veronese, I. Maric, D. Nworah, Z. Brincat (G. Blessing), D. Xuereb (L. Portelli), E. Zarate, J. Ekani, K. Magro
Referee: M. Degabriele
Asst.refs: D. Petrovic, T. Zammit
4th official: F. Zammit
Scorers: C. Failla 23 pen, M. Sahanek 76, D. Vella 86
Yellow cards: E. Zarate, M. Sahanek, B. Kristensen, T. Veronese, C. Failla, T. Farrugia
Red card: T. Farrugia
Player of the match: T. Veronese (Mosta)
TMI top 3: 1. A. Hogg 2. T. Veronese 3. J. Elias
Attendance: 357
Hibernians rediscovered their winning ways after their reverse against Gzira United and a draw against Floriana in their previous two outings.
Goals from Clayton Failla in the first half and two more from Sahanek and Dunstan Vella in the second, enabled the champions to beat Mosta's stubborn resistance at the Centenary Stadium yesterday.
They go up to second place with Valletta.
Despite this defeat, Mosta are proving tough to predict and showed resilience until going down to Hibernians' second goal with a quarter hour from time.
The champions needed to be patient while also remaining alive to Mosta's threat.
After a slowish opening this was an object lesson in how to control a game through application and intelligence.
Suspensions deprived Hibernians of Marcelo Dias and Rui Gomes. Their makeshift defence yesterday included Soares and Agius in the centre and Mbong and Kreuzriegler as wide backs. Clayton Failla was handed a start wide on the left.
Mosta showed two changes from the side that beat Tarxien Rainbows on Sunday. They had their captain, Kurt Magro, back after suspension and Ekani was also given a start as Fernandes and Blesasing were dropped.
Hibernians' first half threat had been limited to set pieces.
A penalty enabled the champions to make the breakthrough after a tepid first 23 minutes of the game. That came when Jorge Elias fell under Maric's challenge inside the area and Clayton Failla converted his second consecutive penalty of this campaign.
But although Hibernians called the tune in territorial terms, Mosta were set up to fight in their compact 4-4-2 formation and also created a couple of half chances, with a Ferreira header, forcing keeper Hogg to stretch himself to hold out.
They were satisfied to go in at halftime still in contention, with enough encouraging moments to give them hope.
They introduced forward Godwin Blessing soon after the restart as they maintained control and the ability to hurt the Paolites. They had already looked menacing with a long range drive from Magro, before a Zarate shot, off a Ferreira cross was deflected into a corner. On 73 minutes, a Farrugia looping header forced a difficult ssave from keeper Hogg.
There were times when Mosta were crying out for a finisher to bully Hibernians into submission.
But when anxiety looked to be setting in their side, Hibernians doubled their advantage on 76 minutes, again from a dead-ball situation. They won a free kick from the edge of the Mosta area and from a central position, Marco Sahanek's deflected shot beat keeper Vella.
Veronese was again the dangerman. His free kick was repelled by the alert Hogg.
So composed until then, Mosta suddenly looked rattled. Four minutes from the end, Hibernians substitute Dunstan Vella took the ball in his stride, breezed past three opponents and when inside the Mosta area, slid the ball elegantly past keeper Vella to score the game's best goal. Mosta also had defender Farrugia sent off for a second caution as the night ended in misery.
