Hibernians FC 2
Gudja Utd. 0
Hibernians FC : M. Jovicic, T. Tabone Desira, F. Apap, J. Wemmer, J. Mbong, J. Grech (C. Atsina 88'), J. Degabriele (M.Beerman 83'), D. Vella, G. Izquier, I. Iriberri, A. Attard (M.Ellul 90')
Gudja Utd. : J. Debono, J. Debono, E. Bilbao Zarate (A. Friggieri 72'), R. Winchester (J. Farrugia 82'), J. Brincat, G. Mensah (H.Vella 65') , A.De Barros, N. Rodrigues Ferreira, J. Andreas Bolanos, J. Grioli, A. Ricardo Miranda
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
Asst. Referee: Darko Stankovic, Mark Ciantar
Fourth Official: Darryl Agius
Yellow Cards: Bolanos
Scorers: Degabriele 32' , Iriberri 56'
BOV Player of the Match: Jurgen Degabriele (Hibernians)
TMI Top 3 : 1. I. Iriberri 2. T. Tabone Desira 3. J. Degabriele
Hibernians kept marching on with a slick performance which was too much for Gudja in the first match played at the National Stadium on Sunday. The Paolites held the upper hand all through the match and the win was a deserved one.
For Hibernians this was the eight win of the campaign, three points which now put them in second place though Gżira have a match in hand which will be played today against Hamrun Spartans. As for Gudja they remain in eleventh place on fourteen points in a group of three together with Sliema Wanderers and Senglea.
Hibernians were coming from a win against Gżira United and have now gone unbeaten in their last seven matches. On the other hand Gudja after grabbing ten points from a possible twelve, lost their last match in midweek against Mosta.
The first round match between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw. Missing for Hibernians Andrei Agius, Leandro Barbosa and Bjorn Kristensen, all suspended.
The first threat came from Hibernians when on 17 minutes they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area but Izquier's shot sailed just over the bar.
Gudja responded ten minutes later when Grioli found Mensah in the area and his low cross seemed to have hit Attard's hand but the referee waved play on despite harsh protests from the Gudja players.
The Paolites opened their accounts just past the half hour when Tabone Desira sent a cross from the right towards Iriberri and the latter played the ball towards Jurgen Degabriele with his beautiful shot finding the corner of the net.
Gudja failed to mount a reaction and it was Hibernians who went near on 35 minutes when an Iriberri diagonal shot from inside the area was saved by Debono.
Hibernians doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Timothy Tabone Desira played the ball towards Jurgen Degabriele who immediately set Attard and his cross was met by Iriberri with the Spanish player slotting the ball into the net from close range.
Ten minutes from the end Hibernians went close to scoring their third goal when Degabriele brought Iriberri in an ideal position but his final shot went wide off the mark.
On the stroke of time Gudja went near in a rare attack when off a corner taken by James Brincat a headed effort by Bolanos was saved by Jovicic.
The final whistle found Hibernians gaining another three valuable points in their quest to challenge for a top placing whereas for Gudja this was another disappointing result though against a superior outfit.