Hibernians 1

Sliema W. 1

Hibernians: M. Muscat, R. Camilleri, D. Balbinot, R. Soares, B. Kristensen, A. Cohen, C. Failla, S. Pisani (P. Anizoba), M. Dias (T. Caruana), E. Herrera, L. Edison

Sliema W: H. Bonello, A. Muscat (B. Muscat), J. Mifsud, J.P. Mifsud Triganza, D. Mitev, S. Bezzina, J. Lima, R. Galabov (J. Briffa), R. Bajada, J. Silva, C. Frendo (J. Ani)

Referee: A. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, D. Sultana

4th official: A. M. Sant

Scorers: R. Bajada 84, L. Edison 89

Yellow cards: S. Bezzina, J. Mifsud, L. Edison, M. Dias, B. Muscat, D. Mitev

Red card: J. Mifsud

Player of the match: Jorge Silva (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. J. Silva 2. R. Bajada 3. R. Soares

Attendance: 1,110

A late equaliser by Luis Edison enabled Hibernians to earn a one-all draw against Sliema Wanderers and remain unbeaten in the Premier League. But that was only scant consolation as the Paolites now stand three points adrift of leaders Valletta at the start of the second round.

Trailing to Roderick Bajada’s goal, Hibernians were heading towards defeat against a superior Sliema side, playing with ten men for the last quarter hour, until Edison struck one minute from normal time to salvage a point.

Sliema, who had Henry Bonello back in goal and Mifsud Triganza starting the match, looked unified and coherent against a jittery Hibernians side yesterday.

Sliema’s stranglehold in midfield ensured that Dias and Cohen were reduced to ineffectual back tracking and Edison mostly marooned. Even the quality of set pieces by Failla was poor by Hibernians’ standards.

Sliema looked superior in the second half and after a dire first half in which both teams cancelled each other out, the Wanderers grew in stature.

Even with ten men, they took the lead through the hard working Roderick Bajada but were unable to hold to it for the final six minutes.

Mitev was the first to test keeper Muscat with a grounder after seven minutes.

Hibernians’ response came two minutes later when Edison ran in for Pisani’s low cross but was blocked into a corner by keeper Bonello.

But the promise of any early fireworks soon evaporated as the teams stifled each other with a tactical plan that allowed very few openings.

It was only towards the half hour that Hibernians threatened again with an Edison header, on a Cohen corner, going wide and then Herrera made progress but his shot was blocked by the grounded Bonello.

Before halftime, Frendo’s shot from outside the area did not cause keeper Muscat much trouble as the stalemate prevailed.

Sliema improved upon the resumption. They substituted Alex Muscat with Beppe Muscat at the back and soon went close when Balbinot tried to intercept Bajada’s through pass, the ball fell to Mitev whose low drive was blocked by keeper Muscat.

On 55 minutes, Galabov was forced to leave the pitch after being hit in the chest by Dias’ challenge. In went Julain Briffa as Bezzina shifted himself in central defence.

But Sliema held the iniative, with a network of neat passes, in which Jorge Silva and Bajada were almost always involved. Frendo played the ball through to Silva whose low cross was fractionally missed by Lima.

On the other end, Dias ran down the left, passed the ball to Failla who missed the target.

The match took a twist in Hibernians’ favour on 76 minutes when Sliema had their defender Josef Mifsud sent off for a second booking. His tackle on substitute Anizoba looked clean, but the referee judged it otherwise.

Sliema still had the determination to take the play to their opponents as Hibernians were stunned on 84 minutes, when Roderick Bajada’s shot from outside the area ended behind keeper Muscat.

Neglecting all tactics, Hibernians threw everything forward in the final minutes. Failla’s shot from a Cohen free kick was saved by keeper Bonello before with one minute on the clock remaining, Luis Edison connected well to Cohen’s sailing free kick inside Sliema’s crowded area to level matters and save Hibernians from an embarrassing defeat.