HIBERNIANS-   4

BALZAN FC –   0

SILVIO VELLA

PremeirLeague leaders Hibernians were, by a street, the better, more cohesive unit and they obtained this eleventh win on the trot in a most deserving fashion.

Moving the ball quickly, with inventive and clarity, the unstoppable Hibernians were full value for their win.

Yet Balzan may have some regrets for the way they plotted their own downfall to put an end to their three-match winning streak.

Balzan always looked obstinate opponents and it was to their credit that the free-flowing, free scoring form of Luis Edison and Clayton Failla  and company was often contained.

But even the finest plans are vulnerable to rudimentary mistakes and things took an ominous turn when Balzan conceded a second goal, through their goalkeeper’s blunder on the hour and had defender Elkin Serrano sent off five minutes later.

The sides made two changes each in their starting line-ups. Balzan had defender Clive Brincat suspended but Samir Arab was more than an adequate replacement. They were buoyed by the return from suspension of their inventive player Oscar Guerrero as Lydon Micallef was relegated to the bench.

Hibernians were also boosted by the return from injury of wide player Marcelo Dias as Johann Bezzina was given the nod ahead of Jackson Lima in midfield.

Hibernians started with some conviction and gradually took a stranglehold in midfield with Bjorn Kristensen highly effective. The leaders had plenty of the game in the first half but laboured for a cutting edge.

When Balzan gave away a free kick, for Serrano’s alleged handling, just outside the area, Failla missed the target.

Towards the quarter hour, Failla’s corner from the right took a wicked deflection off Kristensen but Balzan’s keeper Sultana was up to task, keeping the ball out with a reflex save.

Dias progressed inside the Balzan area and played a short pass to Jorginho who was blcoked by Serrano.

Jorginho was again presented with a good chance off Edison’s neat footwork. The ball rolled tantalising wide.

Although their attacks were more sporadic, Balzan could produce their own menace, breaking forward with long balls played by the industrious Zarate towards Guerrero and Piccioni, although the latter remained mostly a peripheral figure.

Midway through the half, Agius reached in time to clear Mifsud Triganza’s shot from inside the Hibernians’ area into a corner.

Towards the half hour, Hibernians had dropped a hint that they could undo Balzan’s defence, at times looking vulnerable on Hibernians’ counter when caught too stretched in midfield.

Joirginho ran through their backline. The flag did not go up but keeper Sultana managed to block the Hibernians’ forward.

Three minute later, Balzan wilted under the challenge from a Cohen free kick from the edge of the area on the left, after Serrano committed the foul, and Luis Edison headed the ball past the goalkeeper.

The Paolites almost replicated two minutes later but Edison’s header from a Failla corner was palmed out by the outstretched Sultana and Hibernians had to settle for a one-goal advantage by halftime.

Two minutes into the second period, Cohen clipped the bar with his vicious free kick from outside the area but after that Balzan enjoyed a good 15-minute spell that kept the Hibernians’ rearguard under pressure, forced to deal with a handful of crosses, mostly by Grioli from the right flank.

Towards the hour, they gifted Hibernians a second goal. Keeper Sultana failed to hold a harmless Edison free kick, dropped the ball and Andrew Cohen gladly helped himself and knock it over the line.

Rattled Balzan suffered a further setback five minutes later when their centre back Serrano was sent off for a second caution, soon after Balzan had retreated both Mifsud Triganza and Sciberras from the pitch.

With the points virtually secured, Hibernians showed some mercy by easing off the throttle although they still found time to hit their opponents with two more goals late in the game to put a flattering gloss on the scoreline.

Five minutes from time a good move by substitute Mbong and Edison, presented Jorginho with an easy chance to slide the ball past keeper Sultana.

Other Hibernians’ susbstitute, Jurgen Degabriele added the fourth two minutes later, with a clinical finish, practically with his first touch of the ball. Lima also rattled the bar  to finish with aplomb as Balzan were a sorry ragged side by the end.

FLORIANA-        1

BIRKIRKARA –    2

SILVIO VELLA

Birkirkara kept joint second place with Valletta after a hard fought win over fifth placed Floriana. It was a victory their finishing and ultimately resilient defending, against spirited opponents, merited.

Birkirkara’s pace and vigour at the start put Floriana on the back foot but the Greens recovered well after conceding an early Ledesma goal to equalise through their bright prospect Conor Borg before halftime.

Floriana had their chances, even after conceding a second goal through Ryan Scicluna, in the second half and proved they were more than a match for their more experienced opponents.

This second consecutive defeat hampers their chances of making further progress in the standings.

Suspensions deprived Birkirkara of their two defensive stalwarts Nikola Vukanac and Mateus Bissi, with Zach Muscat and Alejandro Mendoza standing in for them in central defence. Their new Dutch striker Nasshir Maachi was only given a few minutes of playing time towards the end.

Floriana welcomed back Manolito Micallef into their fold as the midfielder returned to his ‘old love’ from Mosta last week. He was forced to leave the pitch shortly before the break though, probably due to some niggling injury that left him out of action in recent weeks. Conor Borg and Gary Muir were back in the Greens’ starting line-up after missing the match against Balzan.

The first half was evenly balanced but cagey to the extreme. Floriana sought security with a five-man midfield although Birkirkara carved out the slightly better goal scoring opportunities. Edward Herrera was a constant nuisance with his delivery of crosses from the right but Shola Shodiya carried the main threat for the Floriana rearguard and after eight minutes he advanced through the middle. Challenged by two opponents, he was thwarted by the onrushing keeper Gauci who blocked at his feet. He then skied the ball from a promising position.

It took the Stripes only 17 minutes to make the breakthrough though. Bonnici failed to clear the ball as he tried to intercept Herrera’s cross from the right, and it fell straight in the path of Rodolfo Ledesma to score from close range.

Floriana immediately upped a gear. Muir’s grounder was saved by keeper Haber and on 23 minutes, Piciollo connected well to Pisani’s sailing free kick from the right but keeper Haber tipped the ball over the bar into a corner.

Floriana claimed a deserved equaliser on 34 minutes. Conor Borg steaded himself inside the Birkirkara area, after playing  a deft one-two with Plut, to beat Haber with a rising shot.

Birkirkara could have regained the lead before halftime but Shodiya headed yet another Herrera cross slightly over the bar.

Floriana continued the attacking theme after the interval and five minutes into the second period Conor Borg fluffed another good opportunity a he advanced on the right but his shot at goal was superbly saved by keeper Haber.

On 52 minutes Birkirkara regained the lead without looking particularly brilliant. Another Herrera cross from the right broke down the Floriana rearguard and Ryan Scicluna found space to beat keeper Gauci with a rising shot.

Floriana began to look too one-dimensional and over-reliant on a barage of long balls, which the Birkirkara backline dealt with quite comfortably. Birkirkara tried to hit them on the break as Eliandro became highly influential. After heading a Herrera cross straight at the keeper, he advanced through the middle but was foiled by Gauci’s smart save.

Birkirkara put in Edmond Agius for Ledesma on 69 minutes to provide more solidity in midfield.

On 74 minutes Eliandro reached for the ball before the Floriana keeper but his low drive rebounded off the base of the post before Briffa cleared the ball into a corner.

Floriana went close of clinching an equaliser on 78 minutes. Substitute Giovanni Galea headed a long ball played by Marcelina over keeper Haber but Camenzuli, standing behind the line, kicked the ball out as Floriana claimed a goal.

And, in a late injection of Floriana urgency, Muir fired his free kick from the edge of the area slightly wide to Birkirkara’s relief.

Photos Jonathan Borg