HIBERNIANS 7
LIJA ATHLETIC 0
Hibernians: A. Hogg, D. Vella (D. Xuereb), M. Kreuzreigler, R. Soares, R. Gomes, J. Degabriele, J. Lima (C. Zammit), T. Tabone Desira (D. Buckle), J. Mbong, Jorginho, A. Neto
Lija A: L. Bonnici, D. Agius (C. Celis), L. Muscat, D. Scerri, P. Babic, A. Sammut, C. McAlister, K. Hirose, E. Beu, G. Borg (A. Borg), R. Sammut (R. Kooh Sohna)
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Asst.refs: D. Caruana, J. Spiteri
4th official: E. Grech
Scorers: J. Degabriele 2, 15, 69, 70, A. Neto 31, 73, R. Gomes 59
Yellow cards: M. Clinch
Player of the match: J. Degabriele (Hibernians)
TMI top 3: 1. J. Degabriel 2. J. Mbong 3
Attendance: 325
Moribond since the season’s early days, Lija Athletic were mathematically condemned to Division 1 yesterday with this heavy defeat against Hibernians, in a campaign with no redeeming features.
Hibernians had Andrei Agius suspended, Clayton Failla injured and Giorgi Gorozia relegated to the bench. Their replacements were Rui Gomez, Joseph Mbong and Arlindo Neto.
Since beating Lija 3-0 in the first round last October, Hibernians managed only six league wins and yesterday’s was the first in their last four outings.
But they barely broke sweat yesterday. Degabriele’s four superb finishes in a personal superlative performance completely dismantled sorry Lija to maintain a relaxed, smiley air throughout.
A brace from Arlindo Neto and another from Rui Gomes completed the rout.
Lija went into this match having lost their previous 11 and the bulk of their respect.
They were depleted without the suspended Patrick Borg, with Sidibe and Kooh Sohna only substitutes and Hysa not featuring in their squad.
There were many more of the defensive wobbles that have so often punctured Joseph Galea side’s self-belief this season.
The first goal conceded, after only two minutes, came courtesy of Babic’s miscued clearance that allowed Jurgen Degabriele to slot the ball in.
The goal meant Lija’s gameplan lay in tatters.
By the quarter hour, Hibernians were two up. After Arlindo Neto had failed to control a long ball, when put through inside the Lija area, he made amends by heading in Lima’s free kick.
Aided and abetted by Lija’s reluctance to try anything remotely attacking, the champions consolidated and then smelt further blood in the water.
They even scored their third past the half hour after good work by Mbong on the right. His cutback pass from near the byeline, found Jurgen Degabriele unmarked to beat keeper Bonnici with a low diagonal strike.
Shortly after, Degabriele turned provider, finding Kreuzriegler unmarked inside the area but teh latter mishit horrendously from close range.
Lija did manage to keep the Paolites relatively quiet for some time.
Hibernians would not be denied for long, though. Just short of the hour they again swarmed forward and when they won a corner, kicked by Degabriele from the left, Rui Gomes headed past keeper Bonnici.
And with Hibernians’ attacking prowess becoming ever more concentrated, and Lija’s defence reduced to shambles, the Paolites, and Jurgen Degabriele, could feast on further goals. On 69 minutes, Degabriele sealed his hat-trick, picking Mbong’s pass inside the area, avoiding his marker, and threading the ball into the back of the net.
And when he thrashed home his fourth, and his side’s sixth, one minute later, picking an inviting ball that fell in his way following the Lija’s keeper deflected clearance, the striker’s afternoon was complete.
There was still time for Hibernians to score a seventh on 73 minutes when Arlindo Neto scored his second, after floorimng keeper Bonnici when standing free inside the area.
The only frustration for Hibernians was Soares’ injury with ten minutes remaining. Having already affected all three substitutions, they had to play for the remaining minutes with ten men although that had no bearing on the final outcome.
Garba fires Gzira to resounding win
GZIRA UNITED 4
SENGLEA ATHLETIC 1
Gzira U: A. Curmi, R. Briffa, S. Borg, C. Gatt Baldacchino, D. Mambouana, M. Avila Perez (J. Corbolan), A. Cohen, E. Zarate (Z. Scerri), H. Garba, A. Samb, N. Okoye (N. Muscat)
Senglea A: M. Farrugia, S. Bonnici, S. Uyi, J. Leyton, M. Garzia (G. Virano), I. Azzopardi, I. Paz (J. Farrugia), H. Vella, B. Volpini (J. Spiteri), T. Vella, P. Sammut
Referee: S. Spiteri
Asst.refs: C. Francalanza, P. Abela
4th official: M. Spiteri
Scorers: H. Garba 32, 62, A. Cohen 50, P. Sammut 55, A. Samb 60
Yellow cards: H. Garba, M. Avila Perez, N. Okoye, I. Paz
Player of the match: H. Garba (Gzira U)
TMI top 3: 1. H. Garba 2. A. Cohen 3. I. Paz
It was that sort of satisfying afternoon for Gzira United, who were as comfortable as it gets, as they strolled back into third place, one point above Birkirkara, with a convincing 4-1 win against Senglea Athletic.
In truth the margin of victory could easily have been wider, such was the chasm in quality between the two teams. At times it was embarrassingly one-sided, with Senglea so passive and Gzira utterly dominant as they kept the ball for long periods and attacked with menace.
Amadou Samb was back in their attack after serving suspension and scored his 19th league goal of the season. Together with Haruna Garba, who scored a brace, he mesmerised the Senglea defence, as Andrew Cohen effortlessly stroked home Gzira’s second goal early in the second half.
Before Garba’s opening goal – a well hit spectacular one – past the half hour, Gzira had already been denied twice by the woodwork.
Garba, after five minutes, clipped the Senglea bar with his shot from the right and, on 29 minutes, Samb also headed a Cohen corner against the bar.
In between, Samb also had his low drive blocked by keeper Matthew Farrugia.
Deservingly, the Maroons took the lead after 32 minutes. Haruna Garba unleashed an arrow-like left-foot shot from well outside the area to beat keeper Farrugia hands down.
Senglea found themselves overwhelmed in midfield, unable to stem the tide of claret shirts that poured forward again and again. Okoye, playing behind the front two, also enjoyed himself as Cohen, Avila Perez and Zarate made the most of the space afforded to them in midfield.
Senglea, who had defender Jonathan Bondin suspended yesterday, were pinned inside their half for long stretches and their only threat in the first 45 minutes came two minutes before the break.
Uyi, chasing a deep Paz free kick inside the area, sent his header across the face of the Gzira goal and inches wide.
Gzira scored their second goal five minutes after the interval. On a long Briffa throw-in from the right, Garba headed down towards Andrew Cohen to slide the ball past the Senglea keeper.
Gzira’s defending left much to be desired when Senglea halved the deficit five minutes later. Keeper Curmi had done well to turn Paz’s floating free kick over the bar and from the resultant Paz corner, Borg allowed Peter Sammut to reach before him on the loose ball and knock it over the line.
But Gzira soon widened the margin, with two more goals in as many minutes, just past the hour.
On the hour, Cohen whipped in a deep cross and Amadou Samb reached for the ball before the goalkeeper to head in.
Two minutes later, Okoye’s effort was blocked inside the Senglea area and the ball rolled to Haruna Garba who coolly placed a low shot past the powerless keeper Farrugia and put the result beyond doubt.
While Gzira can now look forward to European qualification for next season, with games against Naxxar Lions, Sliema Wanderers and Valletta their remaining fixtures, Senglea may still feel some sense of security in ninth place. At least, all the teams below them suffered defeats this weekend.