Hibernians-Tarxien 0-1
Hibernians: M. Muscat, R. Camilleri, R. Soares, M. Dias, A. Cohen, B. Kristensen, C. Failla, J. Lima, L. Edison, M. Bartolo (Z. Levnaic), J.P. Farrugia
Tarxien R: N. Vella, F. Lopez Alcantara, C. Mamo, M. Caruana (S. Sadowski), L. Martinelli, R. Caiheira, M. Ciantar (K. Pulo), Everton (Nigel Vella), R. Sammut, J. Mifsud, Jorge Silva
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Asst.refs: W. Debattista, J.Spiteri
4th official: M. Spiteri
Scorers: R. Caiheira 12
Yellow cards: F. Lopez, R. Caiheira, C. Mamo, L. Edison, M. Ciantar, L. Martinelli, B. Kristensen
Player of the match: N. Vella (Tarxien R)
TMI top 3: 1. Everton 2. R. Caiheira 3. M. Dias
Attendance: 534
SILVIO VELLA
Leaders Hibernians succumbed to their first league defeat of the season. Neighbours Tarxien Rainbows inflicted all the damage in an exciting, although quiet derby, courtesy of a Ronallie Caiheira headed goal after 12 minutes play.
Birkirkara have now caught the Paolites at the top .
Hibernians produced a below par performance, in sharp contrast with their previous fightback against Naxxar Lions with ten men on the field. For the first time thsi season, they also failed to score.
But that does not take away the merits of a gritty Tarxien side that showed enough conviction to take a deserved win that keeps them closer to the top six in the standings.
Hibernians, who had Jonathan Pearson suspended, again opted for three men at the back, this time Matthew Bartolo playing wide on the right alongside Rodolfo Soares and Ryan Camilleri. With Levnaic still not fully fit, Jackson Lima took a defensive midfield role with Kristensen. It was down to Cohen to provide service for front runners Luis Edison, Marcelo Dias and Jean Paul Farrugia.
The game plan failed to yield dividends in the first half as Tarxien, despite the absences of key midfielders Andrew Agius and Marco Potezica, fought gamely and, like Naxxar before them, tried to exploit the Paolites’ gaps at the back.
As early as the sixth minute, Ciantar breezed through the Hibernians’ backline but his goalbound effort took a slight deflection off Camilleri into a corner.
The Paolites’ threats in the opening minutes came from Edison, who hit powerfully over and then shot narrowly off target.
On 12 minutes a Jorge Silva meaty free kick was tipped over the bar by keeper Muscta. From the resultant Ciantar corner Ronallie Caiheira headed past Muscat to give Tarxien the lead.
That goal galvanised them and soon after they had claims for a penalty tuned down by the referee when Caiheira was pulled down by Soares inside the Hibernians’ area.
Hibernians needed to respond quickly but their reaction was flaccid and failed to trouble the Tarxien rearguard, bolstered by the return of Everton and Nicky Vella from suspension yesterday. A Dias close range shot was repelled by the Rainbows’ shot stopper.
Past the half hour Dias ran in well for Cohen’s long pass but lofted the ball over. And with halftime looming, some good work by Edison put Farrugia through, but the latter’s diagonal shot went off target.
Hard as they tried in the second half, Hibernians could not show enough cohesion and penetration to breach Tarxien’s rearguard.
After all the first half’s running, the game settled down to a more sedate pace after the interval. In flashes, there appeared a false dawn of a Hibernians equaliser but that came as late as the 65th minute when a Dias long range shot thumped against the upright.
That was after Zoran Levnaic had gone in for Bartolo and Kristensen retreated further.
Tarxien were not without a threat of their own in this second period. Past the hour Jorge Silva got the better of Bartolo. His low cross was intercepted by keeper Muscat.
And on 73 minutes Caiheira controlled a high ball inside the Hibernians’ area, turned around his opponent but keeper Muscat thwarted him with a smart save.
In added time, Farrugia headed in a Dias cross but the goall was disallowed for an offside position of the same player.
Tarxien could thus preserve theri first clean sheet this season.