VALLETTA –                3

HIBERNIANS -            2

Valletta: N. Vella, J. Caruana, R. Camilleri, J. Cruz, R. Briffa, F. Falcone, C. Pani (J. Borg), U. Uchenna, Jhonnattan (N. Pulis), A. Nafti (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), R. Romao

Hibernians: R. Briffa, R. Garcia, J. Pearson, J. Lima J. P. Farrugia), M. Dias (J. Mbong), A. Cohen, B. Kristensen, C. Failla, Jorginho, G. Ribeiro (J. Degabriele), J. Silva

Referee:  F. Zammit

Asst.refs: M. Scerri, W. Debattista

Additional asst.refs:  E. Azzopardi, T. Farrugia Cann

4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: Jhonnattann 60, Jorginho 63, J. Borg 66, A. Nafti 71, J. Silva 80

Yellow cards: M. Dias, Rudy Briffa, C. Pani, N. Vella, A. Cohen, R. Camilleri, Roderick Briffa

Player of the match: Jhonnattann (Valletta)

TMI top 3: 1.Jhonnattan  2. R. Romeu  3. R. Gomes

Attendance: 1, 094

Valletta’s win over champions Hibernians in this top-of-table clash feels like a significant turning point for the remainder of the season, although it is still early and points must be halved come February.

But Valletta will go into the festive holidays as sole Premier League leaders with a three-point advantage over yesterday’s opponents as they stretched their winning streak to five matches on the trot.

With all the squandered possession and very few chances, the first half was so desperately poor. But the second half burst to life, producing all five goals and a deserved Valletta win thanks to an excellent collective performance.

Suspensions to regular keeper Jurgen Borg and centre back Andrei Agius, forced coach Nisevic to make changes in defence, with Rudy Briffa and Jonathan Pearson deputising. It proved to be problematic at the end for Hibernians as their rearguard proved far from the unbetable, solid department that had given them clean sheets in their previous two matches.

Hibernians’ midfield lacked craetivity yesterday, with Cohen Kristensen, Lima and Ribeiro looking all peripheral figures.

Valletta, meanwhile recovered Jhonnattann for yesterday’s match and he started instead of Priso. He boasted that belnd of flair and frightening pace that pulled the Paolites’ rearguard horribly out of shape and it was easy to figure him out the outright choice for the player of the match award.

Dias and Pani were the protagonists in the opening minutes in tit-for-tat fouls that earned both a yellow card. Incidentally they both were forced to leave the pitch injured before the half hour.

The rain eased in this second match of the afternoon but, with the wet surface, players slithered all over the place and accurate passing became impossible. Undeterred, Hibernians finally conjured up a good chance with a Jorge Silva cross from the right and Jorginho’s effort deflected into a corner.

Past the quarter hour, Valletta responded with Falcone chasing Nafti’s long pass but his goalbound effort was tipped over by keeper Briffa into a corner.

And on the half hour, keeper Briffa failed to hold Jhonnattann’s free kick but Gomes averted the danger.

The young Hibernians’ keeper atoned for that four minutes before the break, stretching himself to hold out another Jhonnattann long range and powerful free kick.

The game had finally become compelling and Jorge Silva’s grounder from outside the area was saved by the Valletta keeper with some difficulty.

Valletta spurned presentable scoring chances after the interval. Romao went past Failla down the right and sent a deep cross that fell to Jhonnattann who hit the ball downward and over the bar.

Then Falcone darted into open space between Failla and Kristensen to meet Romao’s through pass but keeper Vella was alert to repel his shot.

Hibernians looked jaded and shorn of ideas as the match unfolded into an almost one-sided one. Valletta remained stronger and sharper on the ball. Romao’s cross was headed out by Gomez as far as substitute Borg whose dipper was turned into a corner.

Valletta’s goal was in the air and it duly arrived on the hour-mark. Pearson  took long to clear, allowing Jhonnattann to pick his spot from outside the area and beat keeper Briffa with a low strike.

Valletta’s joy was cut short however with Hibernians restoring parity three minutes later. Jorginho won possession after Camilleri’s missed clearance. His dragging shot from the left passed underneath keeper Vella’s body and ended behind him.

But Valletta were n ot to be denied.On 66 minutes, a jhonnattann corner from the left was headed in by Jean Borg to regain the lead for the Citizens.

Two minutes later, Jhonnattann’s cross from the left cut the entire Hibernians’ defence. Failla cleared into a corner before Falcone.

Hibernians put in Jurgen Degabriele for Ribeiro on 70 minutes but their defence remained vulnerable with Jhonnattann the chief tormentor. Valletta’s third arrived second later as JIn fact he outpaced Pearson from the left and sent a perfect low cross for Abdelkarim Nafti to finish off.

Hibernians forward Jorge Silva ensured a nervous finale for Valletta with a close-range finish on 80 minutes that could have taken a slight deflection and later Failla also clipped the bar with his inswinging free kick but Paul Zammit’s men held firm to enjoy Christmas and the New Year alone at the top.

QORMI-                                  3

SLIEMA WANDERERS -         6

Qormi: A. Vella, N. Ojuola, O. Sidibe, B. Berntsson, T. Gusman (I. Micallef), C. Gauci, K. Magro, Y. Yankman, R. Micallef, S. Zammit (L. Farrugia)(D.Leeflang), A. Nilsson

Sliema W: T. Aquilina, A. Muscat (S. Bianciardi), B. Essel, M. Mifsud (C. Perdomo), R. Ledesma, C. Gatt Baldacchino, M. Potezica, A. Friggieri, J. Bezzina (P. Xuereb), G. Muir, L. Dimech

Referee:  G. Kikacheishvili  (Georgia FA)

Asst.refs: Z. Pipia, G. Elikashvili

4th official: L. Silagava

Scorers: A. Friggieri 7, A. Nilsson 11, N. Ojuola 25, R.Ledesma 40,  A. Muscat 57, B. Berntsson og 63, R. Micallef 73, M. Mifsud 87, 88

Yellow cards: G. Muir, K. Magro, T. Aquilina

Player of the match: A. Friggieri (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. A. Friggieri  2. R. Ledesma  3. A. Nilsson

Sliema Wanderers won handsomely, hitting a rare half dozen against struggling Qormi, thanks to a solid second half performance and a brace from Michael Mifsud on a wet surface at Ta’ Qali National Stadium after a 2-2 draw at halftime.

Sliema accomplished this win without Mark Scerri and Pedro Calcado and, unbeaten in their last three league matches they move above Pembroke in eighth place.

Both teams, lingering at the bottom half of the table, but with a nine-point gap between them at kick-off, needed a win to end the outgoing year on a high.

Sliema had emerged sharply, winning a series of corners until also forging ahead after seven minutes from the match’s opening. From a Ledesma corner from the right, Aidan Friggieri scored with a back header.

But there was none of that intensity and when Qormi managed to equalise four minutes later, the goal sapped away much of the Wanderers’ brittle confidence.

The young goalkeeper Aquilina was behind Alex Nislsson’s shot from outside the area but somehow lost the grip on the high ball and allowed it to fall behind him.

The heavy downpour at Ta’ Qali did not help matters either.

What followed bore the hallmark of a side whose confidence has taken a beating. Midway through the half, on a Gauci free kick from the left for Qormi, Bezzina’s headed clearance hit a team mate and the ball fell to the unmarked Noah Ojuola who hit it in from close range.

The Qormi defence was caught napping towards the half hour when Mifsud was put through by Ledesma, but the flag went up, juding the Sliema forward’s offside position.

Still the Wanderers were able to restore equilibrium five minutes before the break. Mifsud’ shot, on an Essel cross from the left, was blocked by the Qormi defenders and Rafael Ledesma’s strike on the loose ball beat keeper Andreas Vella.

There were encouraging signs on the restart for Sliema. Short of the hour, captain Alex Muscat picked Friggieri’s pass to beat the Qormi keeper with a shot at the top left hand corner.

Shortly after, the ball slid Vella’s grasp off  Ledesma’s shot from a distance, but the keeper recovered in time.

Qormi threatened on 62 minutes as keeper Aquilina denied Nilsson, turning his angled shot into a corner.

The goal came one minute later at the opposite end though, as a Potezica coss from the right, was deflected by Berntsson into his own goal with Mifsud making pressure.

Qormi briefly were back in it as they pulled a goal back on 73 minutes. Ryan Micallef did well to take Nilsson’s pass into his stride, went past Gatt Baldacchino inside the area and beat keeper Aquilina with a rising shot.

Sliema were home and dry, scoring two more goals in the final three minutes, through Michael Mifsud. The first came after he advanced through the middle and scored with a clinical finish. The second was a close tap in after Muir had done all the running and delivered an inviting cross from the right.