NAXXAR LIONS- 0
HIBERNIANS – 7
Naxxar L: J. Azzopardi, B. Rajovic, Z. Gnenegbre, D. Toure, T. Sarina, R. Cardozo (M. Fenech), J. Godar Pereira, I. Grech (J. Debono), D. Fenech (D. Falzon), A. Buhagiar, A. Tarlazis
Hibernians: J. Borg, R. Gomes, J. Lima, M. Dias, A. Cohen, B. Kristensen (D. Dos Santos), C. Failla, A. Agius, Jorginho (J.P. Farrugia), G. Ribeiro, J. Silva (J. Degabriele)
Referee: A. Azzopardi
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, P. Apap
4th official: M. Borg
Scorers: J. Lima 14, Jorginho 31, G. Ribeiro 46, J. Silva 60, J. Degabriele 70, 74, A. Cohen 88
Player of the match: G. Ribeiro
TMI top 3: 1. 1. G. Ribeiro 2. Jorginho 3. J. Silva
Attendance: 958
Hibernians again join Valletta at the top of the BoV Premier League for another week after hitting seven goals past poor Naxxar Lions.
The champions were rampant, delivering a display of such dazzling attacking play that the Lions were lucky to still be in with an outside chance at half-time.
Naxxar were torn apart and rendered helpless by the blistering pace and clinical finish of the Paolites’ attacking trio of Jorge Silva, Jorginho and Gilmar Ribeiro
The two sides went into this game in contrasting fortunes. Naxxar, struggling at the lower end of the table were winless in their previous three matches. Leaders Hibernians were unbeaten in six.
Naxxar coach Clive Mizzi made four changes yesterday, following defeat against Balzan in midweek. He dropped Lodetti, Jurgen Debono and Vieira, besides having Andrew Scicluna suspended. Gnenegbre and Buhagiar returned from suspension as David Fenech and Armando Tarlazis were given starts.
Hibernians made only one change from the side that beat Floriana. Gilmar Ribeiro started instead of Jonathan Pearson as Lima retreated deeper in the Paolites’ two-man rearguard of Andrei Agius and Rui Gomes.
Still Lima managed to put his side in front short of the quarter hour, as Naxxar wilted under the challenge of a set piece, hitting in Failla’s corner from the right.
Ribeiro found space, took aim but his shot from the edge of the area missed the target. Midway through the half, Jorginho tested keeper Azzopardi with a low drive.
Equally damaging to Naxxar is a propensity to concede goals in clusters and Hibernians’ second was not long in coming. Past the half hour, Rajovic failed to intercept Ribeiro’s cross from the right and Jorginho obliged, with a tap in.
Naxxar were in a rabble in the first half, their centre-backs, Rajovic and Gnenegbre pulled around with staggering ease by Hibernian’s front three, and ther coach sought to shore things up at the break by introducing Jurgen Debono and Daren Falzon for Grech and Fenech.
But Hibernians took only one minute to score their third goal and put the match to bed. Jorge Silva’s shot was blocked by keeper Azzopardi, the ball rolled invitingly to Gilmar Ribeiro to hit in.
Foraging down the right, Dias had a low cross held out by the gaolkeeper. On 55 minutes, Jorginho thumped his free kick against the bar. Shortly after, Rajovic’s short back pass was intercepted by Jorginho, who crossed towards the middle but Gnenegbre managed to clear.
Jorge Silva compounded the embarrassment for Naxxar on the hour mark, shooting in from close range, after keeper Azzopardi had diverted a Failla corner against the bar.
Hibernians showed no mercy and kept up with their goal scoring spree after two aother forwards, Jurgen Degabriele and later Jean Paul Farrugia were introduced for Jorge Silva and Jorginho.
Degabriele added two more in the final 20 minutes, when he first picked a pass by other substitute Denni and,as he was allowed time and space, he dove the ball low past the helpless Azzopardi.
On 74 minutes Degabriele completed the rout when put through by Ribeiro, he avoided the keeper and steered the ball into an unattended goal.
Dias should have added another ten minutes from time, drilling his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. And Degabriele had another effort blocked by keeper Azzopardi, before Andrew Cohen completed the formalities with his side’s seventh with two minutes remaining, bundling the ball in from close range on Degabriele’s pass. Outfought and outclassed, Naxxar ended up in humiliation.
QORMI- 0
FLORIANA - 1
Qormi: J.M. Vella, A. Cassar, O. Sidibe, B. Berntsson, Y. Yankam , D. Leeflang, C. Gauci, K. Magro, C. Monti (T. Gusman), E. Vella, P. Viggiani (J. Viera)
Floriana: T. Gauci, A. Monticelli, E. Pepe, S. Pisani (M. Villa), Clyde Borg (Conor Borg), A. Scozzese, M. Piciollo (F. Aboulezz), S. Bonnici, E. Briffa, N. Chiesa, M. Fontanella
Referee: P. Farrugia
Asst.refs: W. Debattista, R. Aquilina
4th official: E. Azzopardi
Scorers: M. Fontanella 20
Yellow cards: E. Vella, M. Fontanella, T. Gusman, E. Briffa, A. Scozzese
Player of the match: N. Chiesa (Floriana)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Piciollo 2. J.M.Vella 3. E. Briffa
A solitary goal scored by Mario Fontanella after 20 minutes was enough to steer Floriana back to winning ways against struggling Qormi and lift them into third place, on equal points with Birkirkara and Balzan.
Floriana had won comfortably, scoring three goals against same opponents in the First Round, but despite all their possession yesterday, they found it hard to penetrate Qormi’s compact defence, well marshalled by Cassar, Bentsson and Sidibe and inspired by their goalkeeper Jean Mattias Vella.
When Floriana managed to prise Qormi apart, they were thwarted by the woodwork or last-ditch interventions by Vella.
Qormi, who are left lying in penultimate place, now have just one victory in their last 11 league matches, with their growing releagtion worries, but at keast they did not crumble after conceding early.
Qormi had Noah Ojuela suspended and their attacking edge blunted by the absence of Alex Nilsson. Billy Berntsson returned from suspension and played as centre back alongside Sidibe with Pietro Viggiani supporting Leeflang in attack.
On their part, the Greens were handicapped by injuries to goalkeeper Matthew Calleja Cremona and Jurgen Pisani, with Tyrone Gauci again playing in goal and Steve Bonnici starting as right back.
Expected to bounce back from their damaging defeat against Hibernians in midweek, Floriana were the first out of the blocks. Piciollo had his effort blocked and Chieas’s shot on the loose ball was saved by Qormi keeper Vella.
Twice, Piciollo and Fontanella had gone down inside the Qormi area, trying to give the illusion of a penalty, rightly ignored by the referee, as Qormi stayed composed at the back with Cassar, Sidibe and Berntsson defending diligently.
On 20 minutes, Mario Fontanella accelarated inside the Qormi area to connect ro Chiesa’s pass and lob the ball over the onrushing keeper Vella to give Floriana the lead.
Yet the seeming inevitability of an opening goal for the Greens, somehow sucked the intensity out of Qormi’s play.
Looking subdued,their playmaker Carlo Monti was substituted after 39 minutes before Piciollo turned past Gauci outside the area but his central shot was well saved by the Qormi shot-stopper.
Qormi’s first shot on target came three minutes befor the break. Magro’s low drive from outside the area was blocked by keeper Gauci on the ground.
On the other end, the Qormi keeper rushed out to thwart Pisiollo. Pisani shot the loose ball against the side of the Qormi goal.
Qormi put together some spells of tidy possession in the scond half’s opening minutes, but were found wanting in the final third and keeper Gauci remained under employed.
Floriana though threatened to increase their lead with a couple of good opportunities.
On 55 minutes, Briffa exchanged the ball with Piciollo before hitting the foot of the post. Chiesa headed Piciollo’s cross over and on the hour Pisani put Piciollo through inside the area by Vella rushed off his line to block at his feet.
Qormi went close to an equaliser with one last chance in the late stages.Viggiani’s cross from the byeline was headed towards the middle by Gusman, but Magri faikled to steer the ball in from close range.
Floriana ended strongly. Villa’s sailing cross shot from the left landed on the roof of the net and a freekick by other substitute Aboulezz, narrowly missed the target.
Photos Michael Camilleri