VALLETTA-                        2

PEMBROKE ATHLETA –   0

Valletta: H. Bonello, J. Caruana, I. Azzopardi, R. Camilleri, J. Cruz, R. Briffa (L. Cremona), R. Ledesma (M. Mifsud), F. Falcone (J. Borg), C. Pani, Jhonnattann, A. Nafti

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

Referee: F. Zammit

Asst.refs: L. Portelli, P. Abela

Additional asst.refs: M. Apap, M. Degabriele

4th official: C. Francalanza

Scorers: Jhonnattann 14, A. Nafti 34

Yellow cards: R. Ledesma, G. Villalobos, A. Laudisi

Player of the match: Jhonnattann (Valletta)

TMI top 3: 1. Jhonnattann  2. C. Pani  3. A. Laudisi

Attendance: 1,150

Leaders Valletta continued their surge towards the BoV Premier League title as they claimed a richly deserved victory over Pambroke Athleta, courtesy of goals from Jhonnattann and Abdelkarim Nafti.

Both goals came during a good first half perfromance as Valletta continued with their attacking swagger that has seen them score 11 goals in their last four league matches, keeping a clean sheet in each instance.

The lively and effective Jhonnattann was again the protagonist, scoring his side’s opener and providing the assist for the second.

Pembroke offered hope in flashes, but with the exception of Aurelio Laudisi and Paltemio Barbetti they were shorn of ideas or creativity.

Their initial spark was spent out after Valletta’s second goal past the half hour and they were unable to replicate the flowing football they have been showing a couple of weeks ago.

Pembroke have now gone without a win in nine matches and although they look to have enough of a cushion, even with matches against Hibernians, Sliema Wanderers and Floriana to come in their run-in, there is still the the possibility of them being sucked back into trouble.

Without the suspended Umeh Uchenna, Ian Azzopardi returned in Valletta’s defence, while Rafael Ledesma was preferred to Llywelyn Cremona in midfield.

Valletta could have forged ahead after only nine minutes play. Nafti’s cross from the left caught keeper Muscat out of position but Falcone headed over the bar with an open goal at his mercy.

Having survived that early scare, Pembroke took heart. On 12 minutes Barbetti’s shot from a distance was fisted out by the Valletta keeper Bonello.

But towards the quarter hour, Pembroke succumbed to concede Valletta’s first goal. Jhonnattann hooked Azzopardi’s long pass, evaded a defender and shot at the top corner to Muscat’s right.

Pembroke did not look short of confidence though and showed some urgency after falling behind. They pressed Valletta inside their own half and won several corners, before a Laudisi shot from the edge of the area was tipped over the bar by keeper Bonello.

But Valletta struck again past the half hour. Jhonnattann played a short pass inside the area on the left to Abdelkarim Nafti to finish off at the far post.

Pembroke’s response was limp after conceding the second goal and Valletta could enjoy the larger part of possession for the rest of the half.

The second period followed in the same pattern. With Pembroke having neither the craft nor the pace to threaten and Valletta opting to sit back and control the proceedings, the tempo dropped and quality was in short supply.

On the hour Valletta introduced Michael Mifsud and Pembroke put in Obinne Obiefule for Terence Agius. But that did not help to lift the sterility that had settled into the game, except for a good Nafti incursion inside the Pembroke area that ended with him thumping his shot against the bar ten minutes from time.

HIBERNIANS-    3

MOSTA –           0

Hibernians: J. Haber, J. Lima, R. Soares, M. Dias, A. Cohen (J. Pearson), B. Kristensen, J. Degabriele (J. Mbong), A. Agius, C. Failla, Jorginho, G. Ribeiro (D. Mbele)

Mosta: O. Borg, F. Alabi, A. Borg, L. Ajousso (L. Micallef), E. Michelletti (S. Gwan), J. Brincat, T. Farrugia, O. Guobadia, K. Frendo (Z. Brincat), R. Ekani, G. Mensha

Referee: M. Spiteri

Asst.refs: R. Vella, J. Spiteri

4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: B. Kristensen 30, G. Ribeiro 85, Jorginho 90+

Yellow cards: A. Borg, J. Lima

Player of the match: J. Brincat (Mosta)

TMI top 3: 1. M. Dias  2. J. Brincat  3. R. Ekani

Two late goals from Gilmar Ribeiro and Jorginho, added some excessive gloss to Hibernians’ win against gritty Mosta and enabled them to keep leaders Valletta in sight.

Mosta may not be the most fearsome opponents but this was set up to be a serious test for the champions.

Until the 85th minute, Hibernians were leading by a Bjorn Kristensen scorcher, scored on the half hour. A goal of such quality after so much mediocrity seemed certain to settle a slow-burner of a  game that finished explosively with two late goals for Hibernians, at a time when Mosta were threatening for an equaliser.

Following their win against Qormi the previous week, Mosta coach Ivan Zammit made three changes to the side yesterday. The returning Tyrone Farrugia started in defence and Kyle Frendo and Leonard Ajousso were also given the nod ahead of Lyden Micallef, Sibi Gwar and Pius Chijoke.

Mosta set out their stall right from the start, with five defenders strung out in a line in front of keeper Borg and the midfield also lying deep.

Hibernians took territorial superiority without working the Mosta keeper too much for most of the first half hour. In fact Omar Borg was only tested after 17 minutes, repelling a Ribeiro direct free kick, from 25 metres out, into a corner.

Dias was providing all sorts of problems on the right flank, although James Brincat could have opened the scoring for Mosta after 27 minutes when, well served by Ekani, he advanced down the left flank. Once inside the Hibernians area he shot past keeper Haber, only for Failla to clear the ball off the line.

Mosta were stunned on the half hour though. Dias short pass to Cohen was flicked towards Bjorn Kristensen who, standing outside the area, unleashed a powerful shot at the top left hand corner that rendered keeeper Borg helpless.

In the context of an uneventful game the goal was a big one, especially because Hibernians threatened only one more time before halftime, with a Degabriele effort turned into a corner by keeper Borg.

At least Mosta showed more attacking conviction in the second half. On 51 minutes Ekani put Mensha through to beat the Hibernians offside trap but was foiled by an even quicker reaction from Haber, who left his line intelligently to get a hand to the ball and clear the danger.

After an hour the game had finally developed into something worth watching. When Ribeiro played the ball to Degabriele inside the Mosta area, keeper Borg had to stretch himself to hold out his shot single handedly. On 67 minutes Micheletti played a free kick to Mensha, who ran through two Hibernians defenders but blazed his shot over the bar.

A controversial incident on 75 minutes led to Mosta’s claims for a penalty after Kristensen, standing on the edge of his area held out a Mensha pass with his outstretched arm but the referee awarded Mosta a direct free kick.

James Brincat’s floating shot narrowly missed the target, before Mosta keeper Borg kept his side into the match with another smart save on a Ribeiro grounder.

With Mosta still in the game, Hibernians’ coach Nisevic put in defenders Jonatahn Pearson and Joseph Mbong as his side hung on to their slender lead.

But with the Mosta rearguard losing its composure, Hibernians twice, in the space of five minutes, caught them on the break. Gilmar Ribeiro beat the square defence and ran through, beating the goalkeeper with a neat finish. And as four minutes of added time were signalled, Jorginho ran unmolested from half pitch to score his side’s third for a deceiptful final scoreline.