Hibernians 3

Pieta H. 1

Pieta H: S. Darmanin, P. Aquilina, C. Okoh, K. Farrugia, G. Sciberras (S. Ciscaldi), I. Woods, S. Ortas, B. Nisevic, S. Repuh, A. Spiteri (M. Abdilla), C. Frendo

Hibernians: M. Muscat, K. Spiteri (E. azzopardi), A. Pulis, A. Xuereb, R. Mintoff, E. Mbong, P. Pullicino, A. Zahra (M. Bartolo), T. Scerri, R. Baldacchino (N. Chukunyere), A. Cohen.

Referee: A. Casha Asst. Refs: K. Borg, P. Agius 4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: G. Sciberras, T. Scerri (2), A. Cohen pen

Yellow cards: B. Nisevic, P. Pullicino, C. Okoh

Red card: K. Farrugia

Player of the match: A. Cohen (Hibs)

TMI top three: 1. A Zahra 2. P. Aquilina 3. B. Nisevic

Pieta Hotspurs were unable to keep up the momentum of the first half and fianlly succumbed to another defeat by Hibernians, courtesy of a penalty and a deflected shot late in the game, after also being reduced to ten men.

The Hotspurs produced the better fare of a low-key first half and took the lead by the first quarter hour, capitalising on their opponents’ slow start to the match.

Their defence looked solid and composed and the marking of Aquilina and Okoh allowed little comfort for Hibernians’ most dreaded strikers Scerri and Cohen.

Nisevic, Ortas and Repuh seemed to have the edge in midfield over low-tone Pullicino and Mbong while the running of Frendo and Woods up front was always a menace to the Hibernians defence.

Their build-up play might have deserved more but as the balance shifted dramatically in Hibs’ favour after the penalty and sending off, all their niceities fizzled away in thin air.

However, Hibernians again proved their character and resilience as they brushed the early setback and, after drawing level by the end of the first half, made the best of what few chances came their way to overcome Pieta’s stern challenge. This win puts them back into third place in the standings, very close to the leading pack of Valletta and Sliema Wanderers.

Pieta made four changes from the side which fell heavily to Marsaxlokk in the previous game. Abdilla, Schembri, Calleja and Camenzuli were all relegated to the bench to make way for the returning Frendo, Okoh and Aquilina as Ortas was included from the start.

On their part, Hibernians fielded the same starting line-up which beat Msida, meaning that Chukunyere featured among the substitutes.

The Hotspurs enjoyed the early exchanges when, following a Repuh free-kick, the ball fell to Nisevic who shot straight over keeper Muscat’s body.

On 12 minutes Woods controlled Aquilina’s long cross, passed the ball to Ortas but Mintoff managed to block his final effort.

Not surprisingly, with Hibernians still looking mostly bystanders, Pieta forged ahead on the quarter hour. On Woods’ pass, Frendo dribbled his way past three opponents with alarming ease before sending a low ball across the face of goal for Gareth Sciberras to beat the stranded Muscat with a routine tap-in.

Following that goal, Pieta lost a little vigour as the match fell into a tedium, only to be broken by Hibernians’s equaliser on 34 minutes. Terence Scerri towered himself over the Pieta defence to head in spectacularly Cohen’s free-kick from the right.

With the equilibrium restored, Hibernians threatened again two minutes later with Zahra’s incursion inside the Pieta area on the right. His low drive was footed out by keeper Darmanin.

Play remained uninspiring for most of the second half although both sides put in some effort to win the game. Zahra’s running found little support from his colleagues, who were constantly kept under good check by their respective markers.

The inclusion of Chukunyere for Baldacchino past the hour added the much needed impetus for Hibernians.

However Pieta were the more menacing. Frendo failed to put his foot to Nisevic’s perfect cross. Then on 71 minutes substitute Ciscaldi hit a Frendo low cross first time towards goal. Muscat stretched himself to tip into a corner over the bar.

With the match heading for a draw, Hibernians were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes, as Nisevic was judged to have fouled Scerri in the area. Andrew Cohen tucked away his kick to put Hibs in the lead.

Pieta’s frustration increased when two minutes later Kurt Farrugia was dismissed for a crunching tackle on substitute Azzopardi.

Although the Hotspurs kept trying, their efforts seemed increasingly laborious as Hibernians also retrieved Zahra for debutant Bartolo seven minutes from the end.

And with one minute remaining, the Paolites killed all Pieta’s hopes with another harsh blow as Terrence Scerri’s shot on Azzopardi’s low cross took a decisive deflection off substitute Abdilla to beat a helpless Darmanin.

For all their efforts, Pieta were left with nothing to show at the end.