St Georges: A. Gatt, E. Sevasta, R. Conceicao, A. Bonello, J. Spiteri, C. Brincat, L. Mizzi, S. Hammed (H. Schembri), L. Lagana, B. Fenech, L. Grima
Hibernians: M. Muscat, K. Spiteri (R. Briffa), J. Caruana, P. Doffo, T. Scerri, A. Cohen, M. Bartolo (J. Vella), C. Failla (A. Zahra), E. Agius, K. Cassar, U. Nwoko
Referee: A. Arciola Asst. refs: J. Camilleri, A. Camilleri 4th official: M. Borg
Scorers: A. Cohen (2), T. Scerri
Yellow cards: C. Brincat, A. Gatt, M. Bartolo, A. Bonello, R. Conceicao
Player of the match: Udo Nwoke (Hibernians)
TMI top three: 1. U. Nwoke 2. P. Doffo 3. R. Conceicao
Hibernians were back in the groove yesterday, beating St George’s with three second half goals to stay firmly in third place, and keep the pace with the leading duo.
In truth, until they scored the first goal, the Saints had been trading equal punches with them, but once the Paolites began to employ a sophisticated passing game which allowed Udo Nwoke and Terrence Scerri to terrorise St Georges’ lumbering defence, there was only one outcome.
Hibernians fielded a reshuffled side in their bid to halt a dismal run of two consecutive defeats against Msida and Marsaxlokk. Their regular central defenders Pulis and Xuereb made way for Caruana and Cassar. Roderick Briffa and Chukunyere were relegated to the bench as coach Gatt gave starts to Bartolo and Failla.
St George’s, who had drawn with Floriana in their last match, sensed their possibilities of taking something from this match, although they were without their suspended striker Do Nascimento and then they were forced to substitute the injured Suleiman Hammed past the half hour.
Hammed was proving himself a menace to the Hibernians defence. With great agility, he had created space inside the Hibernians area on 22 minutes, but his diagonal shot narrowly missed the target.
Earlier, Scerri chased a long ball forward and as the St George’s keeper Gatt, deputising for the suspended Paris, rushed outside the penalty area to block him, the Hibernians striker fell to earn a free-kick as Gatt was shown the yellow card.
The Saints threatened again midway through the half when Lagana’s back-heeled pass put Mizzi through, only to miss the target with his cross shot as Hibernians were at pains to keep their shape at the back.
After a barren first half, Hibernians improved considerably after the break.
It took them only three minutes to forge ahead. Nwoke dribbled his way inside the St George’s area, showing Conceicao a clean pair of heels, but his final pass was intercepted by Bonello who incredibly lost possession inside the small box when challenged by Andrew Cohen, allowing the Hibernians’ striker to shoot low past the helpless Gatt.
That goal spelt disaster for the Saints as Hibernians soon took the bit between their teeth and rarely allowed their opponents to venture forward. Their chances came thick and fast.
Doffo shot a clearance from Cohen’s free-kick wide and on 55 minutes Gatt rushed out to thwart the advancing Scerri. The Saints keeper also held out Doffo’s curling shot from Cohen’s free-kick.
Scerri played a square ball to Nwoke whose shot was turned into a corner by the outstretched Gatt after St George’s had fluffed a good opportunity when Schembri hesitated too long inside the area, when served by Mizzi, and was robbed of the ball as the Hibrnians’ defence was caught outnumbered.
On 63 minutes Hibernians delivered the fatal blow. Scerri’s shot on Agius’s cross was parried by the grounded keeper and Andrew Cohen used all his guile to shoot in the loose ball from close range.
St George’s had little more to offer and worse was to follow on 83 minutes when Terrence Scerri finished off Cohen’s pass to put the final outcome beyond any doubt.
In the final minutes, St George’s also failed to score at least a consolation goal as the unchallenged Spiteri skied the ball on Fenech’s testing cross. It was not hard to understand why St George’s have scored only three goals in nine league matches so far.