BALZAN –      4

MOSTA -        1

Balzan: C. Cassar, R. Fenech (C. Brincat), J. Grioli, S. Bezzina, S. Arab, A. Effiong (A. Vujacic), P. Calcado, P. Fenech, D. Grima, L. Micallef, E. Serrano

Mosta: O. Borg, T. Farrugia, O. Guobadia, E. Micheletti, A. Borg, J. Brincat, K. Frendo (Z. Brincat), L. Micallef, S. Fidelis, G. De Paulo (M. Brincat), D. Falzon (C. Montes)

Referee:  F. Zammit

Asst.refs: W. Debattista, R. Aquilina

Additional asst.refs:  M. Borg, S. Pace

4th official: E. Spiteri

Scorers: L. Micallef 10, A. Effiong 35, J. Brincat 52, R. Fenech 74, A. Souza 90

Yellow cards: P. Fenech, D. Falzon, Z. Brincat

Red card: P. Fenech

Player of the match: R. Fenech (Balzan)

TMI top 3: 1.  R. Fenech   2. J. Brincat 3.D. Grima

Attendance: 753

Rejuvinated Balzan halted their winless sequence with a good win against a poor Mosta side to turn the tide after the festive break.

Balzan won this because they had a more tenacious and hard-working midfield, to galvanise their three-man defence, and stifle all of their opponents’ efforts.

After their recent slump, with two defeats and a draw in their previous three matches, Balzan made some reinforcements for the New Year and yesterday, coach Oliver Spiteri introduced two new faces in midfield - Paul Fenech and Pedro Calcado – who came from Birkirkara and Sliema Wanderers respectively. Fenech marked his debut for his new club with an assist and a sending off. And with the recovered Ryan Fenech handed a start as an anchor, there was no place for Clive Brincat,  Godwin Mensha and Alexander Vujacic in the first eleven.

Mosta were only into the game for some half hour after the restart when they managed to reduce the two-goal deficit and pressed their opponents with an extra man after Fenech’s sending off for Balzan.

Instead, the rest of the match exposed Mosta for what they are - a side low on confidence, conceding sloppy goals and devoid of attacking threat. And when Ryan Fenech scored Balzan’s third with a quarter of an hour remaining, Ivan Zammit’s boys knew that their time was up.

Mosta went into this match in rude health. They had parted company with Manolito Micallef and Ryan Grech, to give James Brincat a start in midfield. They were further depleted by the absence of Bosnian Edin Murga, unable to return from his home country. Lydon Micallef, joining from Pembroke, was also included from the start.

Mosta were on the backfoot after only ten minutes. Calcado played the ball wide on the right to the unmarked Grima, whose shot was palmed out by keeper Borg, only for Lydon Micallef to take his pick and score from a tight angle from the left.

Following this setback, Mosta took long to settle into the game. But although contributing little in the final third, there were some sporadic moments when they put Balzan’s defence under pressure and went close to an  equaliser towards the half hour.

James Brincat sent an inviting cross from the left, but Fidelis arrived fractionally late. And when another Brincat free kick was flicked towards goal by De Paulo, keeper Cassar saved.

Balzan doubled their lead on 35 minutes. Fenech advanced on the right and sent a low cross which was missed by the Mosta defence, only for the ball to fall invitingly at Alfred Effiong’s feet and hit in from close range.

Mosta’s prospects had already looked bleak by halftime.

But they briefly revived their hopes, pulling a goal back seven minutes into the start of the second half, as they introduced Mark Brincat for De Paulo. Borg delivered a cross from the right, Farrugia laid the ball in the path of James Brincat whose first timer beat the helpless keeper Cassar.

Balzan were soon to suffer another setback past the hour. Paul Fenech marred his good performance with a second bookable offence, after he had been booked for prolonged protests in the first half, that earned him a dismissal.

Balzan looked unnerved. Keeper Cassar reached before Fidelis with a plucky sortie on the edge of the area to smother the danger. That marked Mosta’s best patch of the match. On 68 minutes Balzan coach Spiteri introduced other newcomer, Brazilian Alan Souza, formerly of Valletta.

With a man down, Balzan still regrouped their efforts to score the assuring goal with 15 minutes remaining and end all Mosta’s hopes. Ryan Fenech took the ball in his stride and unleashed a defiant strike from some 30 metres out, marking a positive return.

And other newcomer Alan Souza completed the rout on the stroke of full time, capitalising on Mosta’s static rearguard to beat keeper Borg with a low drive from inside the area.

HIBERNIANS -                   2

PEMBROKE ATHLETA -    1

Hibernians: R. Briffa, R. Garcia (R. Soares), M. Dias, J. Lima, A. Cohen (J.P. Farrugia), B. Kristensen, C. Failla,  A. Agius, G. Ribeiro, J. Degabriele (D. Dos Santos), J. Silva

Pembroke A: M. Muscat, A. Cini, P. Barbetti, Z. Levnaic, M. Micallef, K. O’Brien, S. Arab (T. Agius), A. Laudisi, P. Shereni, G. Villalobos, J. Togbah (O. Bugeja)

Referee:  T. Farrugia Cann

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, S. Attard

Additional asst.refs:  P. Farrugia, S. Spiteri

4th official: C. Francalanza

Scorers: J. Silva 4. S. Arab 45+, G. Ribeiro 48

Yellow cards:  S. Arab, G. Ribeiro, B. Kristensen

Player of the match: G. Ribeiro (Hibernians)

TMI top 3: 1.G. Ribeiro  2. K. O’Brien  3. M. Muscat

Hibernians caught up on leaders Valletta with a lacklustre win against Pembroke Athleta as the BoV Premier League resumed at the Victor Tedesco Stadium yesterday.

Hibernians’ first half performance was sluggish and they only looked good for their lead in the early minutes. Although they neatly spread the ball around in midfield, there was a desperate lack of thrust.

After conceding Pembroke’s equaliser before the break, the champions improved slightly in the second half, creating a couple of openings after going in front again, to keep Mario Muscat in the Pembroke goal quite busy.

 Gilmar Ribeiro’s winner was enough to settle a poor game.

With only two wins from their last seven league matches, Pembroke’s quest for consistency continues. Yesterday they huffed and puffed without causing the Hibernians’ defence much trouble. After managing to cancel the Paolites’ first lead, they missed a penalty that deprived them at least an equaliser in the second half.

Hibernians wanted to make up for the disappointing defeat against Valletta before the festive break, that cost them the League’s primacy.

Buoyed by the return of Andre Agius, and with Jurgen Degabriele and Marcelo Dias given starts, the champions could not have enjoyed a better opening when forging ahead after only four minutes play. Jorge Silva, connected well to Failla’s cross from the left to head Hibernians in front.

The Paolites should have doubled their advantage five minutes later when awarded a penalty after Levnaic felled Ribeiro inside the area. But Failla sent his kick wide.

A quick burst of acceleration from the irresistible Ribeiro and good strength, made enough pace for a shot but Pembroke keeper Muscat turned the ball into a corner.

Having survived that early scare, Pembroke, with a different look about them yesterday, tried to pull themselves into the game after that. With Bardsley and Martz released by the club, coach Winston Muscat gave a debut start to new recruit Manolito Micallef and other new signing Terence Agius was introduced as a second-half substitute.

For the rest of the half, Hibernians were unable to pass the ball with enough creativity to breach their opponents’ defence again. They were also forced to replace the limping Gomes with Rodolfo Soares before even conceding an equaliser.

Deep into two minutes of added time, O’Brien played the ball square to Siraj Arab who hit a low shot from outside the area beyond keeper Briffa’s reach.

The pattern of the match did not change much after the interval. Hibernians quickly restored the lead three minutes into the second half. Failla’s deep cross from the left was headed out by Sherani, as far as the unmarked Gilmar Ribeiro who hit low at the far post past keeper Muscat.

Eight minutes later, Pembroke missed the chance to restore parity when awarded a penalty after Cohen tripped Villalobos inside the area. But the same Pembroke forward, contrived to miss, sending his shot from the spot kick completely wide.

After that, Hibernians, showing some more inlcination to move forward, threatened to increase their lead. On 66 minutes Kristensen found an opening in Pembroke’s defence, played a through ball to Degabriele who was blcoked by keeper Muscat.

The Pembroke shot-stopper also denied Jorge Silva, repelling his shot from inside the area.

Hibernians also introduced Jean Paul Farrugia as a late substitute, but failed to add more goals. They in fact went through another scare, eightr minutes from time, when Villalobos’ left-footer rebounded off the upright with Hibernians’ keeper Briffa rooted to his line.