FLORIANA - 1
BALZAN FC - 1
Floriana: V. Senatore, A. Scicluna, D. Cobo, S. Pisani (G. Galea), C. Borg (Conor Borg), V. Plut, M. Piciollo, E. Briffa, A. Samb (E. Marcelina), B. Farrugia, S. Bonnici
Balzan FC: S. Sultana, J. Grioli (F. Odebe), S. Bezzina, E. Serrano, E. Zarate, O. Guobadia, C. Brincat, J.P. Mifsud Triganza, O. Guerrero (M. Borg), L. Sciberras (L. Micallef), G. Piccioni
Referee: C. Pisani
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, R. Vella
Additional asst.refs: A. Azzopardi, G. Tonna
4th official: M. Apap
Scorers: A. Samb 53, E. Serrano 70
Yellow cards: E. Serrano, L. Sciberras, D. Cobo, A. Samb, V. Plut
Player of the match: E. Zarate (Balzan)
TMI top 3: 1. E. Zarate 2. V. Plut 3. E. Serrano
SILVIO VELLA
After slips by Birkirkara and Mosta on Thursday, Balzan missed the chance to go into second place, and the psychological boost that this slot brings with it, as they were made to settle for a draw against fighting Floriana who, in flashes, also looked capable of producing an upset yesterday.
Bright starts in each half helped Floriana take the lead after the interval but with Balzan dominating for long stretches and creating the better chances, a draw was the least Oliver Spiteri's men deserved.
This was Floriana's third consecutive draw that leaves them with seven points in as many matches. and they may rue the fact that once again they failed to hold to their lead
A mundane first half was bereft of real goalmouth action although both sides included several attacking players in their initial line-up.
Floriana, with the returning central defender Steve Bonnici back from suspension, being the only change from their previous one-all draw with ten-man Naxxar, again started well and traded equal punches with their more in-form opponents for the first half hour, although Vito Plut, Matteo Piciollo and Amadou Samb hardly ever troubled Steve Sultana in the Balzan goal.
They gradually fizzled out and Balzan, thanks to the lively and effective Edison Zarate, were allowed to take the initiative as they started to mount some sustained pressure after the half hour. Clyde Borg headed the ball out off the goal line on a Serrano effort after a Balzan corner had caused some anxious moments inside the Floriana area.
Piccione was clear as he chased a long ball played behind the Floriana defence but he shot too hastily straight at keeper Senatore.
On 34 minutes Zarate toyed with two Floriana defenders inside the area, rolled the ball square to the unmolested Piccioni who controlled it and shot against the bar.
Zarate again narrowly missed the target on Mifsud Triganza's cross. Balzan's goal was in the air, but with Floriana riding their luck, that failed to come and it was still a goalless stalemate at halftime.
Floriana could have taken the lead four minutes into the second period. Plut did all the work going past two defenders before sliding the ball invitingly to Samb who was blocked by keeper Sultana.
Pisani shot over on a short defensive clearance by Balzan but there was no denying Samb on 53 minutes, beating keeper Sultana with a firm header off a Pisani corner from the right.
The goal distabilised Balzan and injected a new sense of belief in the Floriana side who realised that the points were theirs for the taking. But after a patchy 15-minute spell, Balzan regrouped to take the bit between their teeth again.
On 70 minutes Mifsud Triganza's cut-back cross from the byeline took a wicked deflection off Cobo who almost beat his own keeper. From the resultant short corner, a sailing cross from substitute Michael Borg, was deflected in the path of the towering Elkin Serrano who stooped low to head in from close range.
Suddenly the balance of power shifted in Balzan's favour. Mifsud Triganza ran dangerously inside the Floriana area but missed the target and Piccioni's low drive from the left was chaotically cleared by the Floriana defence.
In a frantic final moments Balzan were spared the penalty after Bezzina came into contact with Plut inside the area but the referee judged against the Floriana forward's simulation. Hot protests from the Floriana bench ended with substitute Samb being cautioned and when play resumed, Zarate forced keeper Senatore into a difficult save. On the other end, Serrano cleared into a corner before substitute Giovanni Galea could finish off in front of goal.
HIBERNIANS - 5
NAXXAR LIONS- 1
Hibernians: H. Bonello (J. Borg), R. Gomes (J. Pearson), R. Soares, M.. Dias (J. Lima), A. Cohen, B. Kristensen, J. Bezzina, C. Failla, A. Agius, L. Edison, Jorghino
Naxxar L: J. Azzopardi, R. Cassar, G. Ribeiro, M. Del Negro, U. Edafe, I. Edet, D. Falzon (V. Bellia), P. Gueye, D. Reano (U. Emenike), A. Scicluna, T. Vella (D. Bonnici)
Referee: C. Lautier
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, T.Debono
Additional asst.refs: A. Arciola, M. Spiteri
4th official: F. Zammit
Scorers: A. Cohen 10, L. Edison 55,57, C. Failla 63 pen, 70, G. Ribeiro 82
Yellow cards: A. Scicluna
Player of the match: C. Failla (Hibernians)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Dias 2. C. Failla 3. L. Edison
Attendance: 791
SILVIO VELLA
Seven successive wins keep Hibernians at the top of the BoV Premier League, as they now increase their lead to six points over second placed Birkirkara, after giving opponents Naxxar Lions a thrashing in the second half.
The leaders had leant heavily on Luis Edison initial splurge of goals, six so far already, or Andrew Cohen's authority and precision in possession in establishing their supremacy at the summit. The team is thriving around its Brazilian contingent with Marcelo Dias also showing glimpses of great quality yesterday, with the impressive movement of Claytom Failla and Jorginho around him.
Naxxar were simply ripped apart in the second half as they had neither the pace nor the craft to outmuscle vastly superior opponents.
The Paolites made two changes for yetserday's match, giving starts to defender Rui Gomes and midfielder Jonathan Bezzina instead of Jackson Lima and Keith Tanti.
Naxxar were bereft of the injured Pablo Doffo and the suspended Angus Buhagiar but gave a debut start to Nigerian Uzeh Edafe, no newcomer to Maltese football, in midfield.
After only ten minutes the Lions were on the backfoot, conceding early when the industrious Andrew Cohen followed up his goal on Saturday against Zebbug Rangers with another smartly taken opener yesterday.Failla played a short free kick from the right and the Hibernians' skipper beat keeper Azzopardi with his second attempt after his first was blocked by the Naxxar wall.
The Naxxar keeper had already produced a top rate save, tipping at full stretch Jorginho's low diagonal shot into a corner as Hibernians started the match like a rattling train.
They fluffed chances in the process when a Jorginho effort was deflected into another corner and Dias darted inside the Naxxar area but shot wastefully wide in front of a gaping goal.
Defending in numbers and putting seven or eight players behind the ball, Naxxar rarely ventured into enemy territory and only tested keeper Bonello after 23 minutes with a Ribeiro rasping shot.
Hibernians could have been awarded a penalty five minutes before the break when Reano pushed the advancing Dias inside the Naxxar area but the referee turned a blind eye. And before the halftime whistle, keeper Azzopardi pulled another smart save off Edison's header on a Failla cross from the left.
Hibernians continued to knock the ball around with training ground easiness in the second period, at times even becoming a little complacent.
But when they stepped up a gear, Naxxar were dissected just as emphatically, conceding two goals by Luis Edison in the space of two minutes. On 55 minutes Edison was alert and pounced on a Cohen low cross to beat keeper Azzopardi through the middle. In no time, the Brazilian forward was again on target to head in Failla's delivery.
Clayton Failla increased Naxxar's misery from tghe penalty spot past the hour after Edafe tripped Jorginho as he made his way inside the area.
Clayton Failla added his second on 70 minutes, picking up Jorginho's pass to beat keeper Azzopardi with another defiant strike.
Naxxar were falling apart against rampant opponents and Victor Bellia and Uchenna Emenike's late introduction did little to lift the gloom although they finally registered a decent raid on the Hibernians goal. With eight minutes remaining, other substitute Duane Bonnici had his effort footed out by the Hibernians reserve keeper Jurgen Borg, only for Gilmar Ribeiro to unleash a drilling shot at the top corner. But that was scant consolation for the still winless Lions.