HIBERNIANS 0
SLIEMA WANDERERS 1
Hibernians: A. Hogg, D. Vella, M. Kreuzreigler, R. Soares, J. Degabriele (A. Neto), C. Failla (J. Bezzina), J. Lima (T. Tabone Desira), A. Agius, J. Mbong, Jorginho, G. Gorozia
Sliema W: G. Vella, S. Biancardi, F. Temile, A. Nii Nortey, M. Muchardi, E. Agius (L. Borg), M. Sansone (J. De Assis), J. Mintoff, R. Correa (R. Spiteri), F. Qeros, K. Shaw
Referee: C. Pisani
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, T. Zammit
4th official: E. Grech
Scorer: M. Muchardi 48 pen
Yellow cards: A. Agius, J. Lima, S. Biancardi, G. Gorozia
Player of the match: G. Zammit (Sliema W)
TMI top 3: 1. G. Zammit 2. R. Correa 3. J. Mbong
Attendance: 597
This was another disappointing afternoon for champions Hibernians as they succumbed to a second half Sliema penalty by Matias Muchardi after upstaging their opponents in the first half.
Hibernians had struggled to pick a way through packed defences in their recent league matches, having fired blanks in four of their last seven matches in all competitions.
Yesterday they had the injured Joao Moreira missing and Johann Bezzina relegated to the bench. Rodolfo Soares returned after suspension, with Giorgi Gorozia starting in midfield.
Problems in attack resurfaced as the champions failed to breach Sliema’s fort, thanks mostly to goalkeeper Glen Zammit who revelled with some smart saves, including a Degabriele penalty.
Sliema proved pesky opponents for the third time this season, having also beaten them in the first round and in the FA Trophy quarter final.
Sliema’s starting line-up showed five changes from the draw against Tarxien Rainbows the previous week, with Glenn Zammit back in goal instead of Cotticelli, Stefano Bianchardi returning in defence, Michele Sansone was preferred to Xuereb, and Frenci Qeros and Nii Nortey both starting in midfield. Milinceanu was not included in the squad.
The champions were clearly the better side in the oepning 45 minutes and after Sliema had a penalty call turned down, in the opening minutes, when Kreuzriegler shoved Temile inside the area, Hibernians produced a dominat performance.
Sliema keeper Zammit was kept busy, called to save Mbong’s shot into a corner before a Failla free kick towards the half hour was turned into another corner by the keeper.
After good work by Mbong, Failla’s low shot was blocked by Zammit, who also denied Gorozia, holding out his free kick, shortly before the break.
A goal still eluded the Paolites at halftime.
Following a first period in which they were second best, Sliema shockingly forged ahead three minutes after the interval, when awarded a very soft penalty that brought protests from Hibernians. Agius fell over Soares outstretched leg just inside the Hibernians area from the left.
Matias Muchardi took responsibility and beat keeper Hogg with afierce strike from the spot.
With Hibernians looking a bit in disarray, Sliema could have applied the sucker punch on 57 minutes, when Correa played a good through pass to put Temile clear, but the Sliema forward missed the target completely.
Hibernians threatened two minutes later with a Failla free kick that went fractionally wide, before making way for Johan Bezzina.
Sliema also introduced Jefferson De Assis for Sansone as they tried to re-energise their attack.
It was tit-for-tat on 66 minutes. Shaw halted Vella’s progression inside the Sliema area from the left and Hibernians were also awarded a penalty.
But taker Degabriele was denied by the Sliema keeper who saved his central shot.
Degabriele was substituted with Arlindo Neto to give Hibernians more of an attacking threat but the Wanderers were pouring forward by then and looked the more likely to score again.
On 79 minutes Correa persisted from the left, beat the cahllenge of Soares, but his shot was held out by keeper Hogg, the ball fell to Temile who missed from close range.
And four minutes later, the Hibernians keeper tipped a dangeropus ball over the bar after taking a slight deflection off the wall on Agius’ fierce free kick.
Sliema failed to embellish the scoreline.
HAMRUN SPARTANS 3
SENGLEA ATHLETIC 0
Hamrun S: S. Sultana, T. Souza (K. Micallef), T. Espindola, C. Zaccardo, G. De Castro, D. Zerafa, A. Faria (R. Vella)), T. Caruana, L. Micallef (D. Borg), D. Camilleri, A. Nilsson
Senglea A: M. Farrugia, R. Vella, J. Bondin, S. Uyi, J. Leyton, M. Garzia, G. Virano (J. Suda), I. Paz (H. Vella), T. Vella, N. Palmieri (P. Sammut), G. Braga
Referee: I. Barbara
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, L. Portelli
4th official: G. Tonna
Scorers: T. Souza 47, L. Micallef 67, C. Zaccardo 80
Yellow cards: T. Espindola, G. De Castro, T. Souza, G. Virano, P. Sammut, R. Vella
Red cards: J. Leyton
Player of the match: A. Nilsson (Hamrun S)
TMI top 3: 1. A. Nilsson 2. T. Espindola 3. R. Vella
This was shoddy and there is no point dressing it up as anything else.
Pampered by mid-table comfort, Hamrun Spartans and Senglea Athletic delivered a meek and spineless display that suggested they look happy to have achieved their goal already.
A predictably dour opening, with neither side keen to force the pace, produced little in terms of creativity.
But after Hamrun took the lead early after the interval with a Tiago Souza header, and Senglea had Julian Leyton sent off past the hour, the Spartans grew in composure and scored two more goals through Lydon Micallef and Cristian Zaccardo to register a second consecutive win.
Both Hamrun defenders Tiago Souza and Daniel Zerafa were back from suspension.
Senglea gave starts to striker Nicola Palmieri and midfielder Gonzalo Virano, with Hubert Vella and Caseres making way. Palmieri received an early knock and was unable to keep on playing, forced to be substituted midway through the first half.
Both teams were poor in the opening 45 minutes. A barren first half was disrupted with petty fouls and too many stoppages, producing more yellow cards than chances, as the sides remained flat and never got going.
Paz’s two free kicks were well off target in the first quarter hour and after the half hour, two efforts by Nilsson were saved by the Senglea keeper Farrugia and the other blocked by the defence.
Hamrun made the breakthrough at the start of the second half, with defender Tiago Souza heading them ahead after connecting well to Espindola’s corner from the left.
Senglea’s risposte came from substitute Sammut, whose effort was blocked by the Hamrun defence.
But Hamrun took complete control by the hour, after Senglea had also pulled off Paz and Virano and lost any hold on midfield.
A Castro fierce drive was held out by keeper Farrugia before Senglea had their player Julian Leyton sent off on 66 minutes for elbowing the chasing Nilsson.
Nilsson produced the assist for Hamrun’s second goal only a minute later. His cross from the right found Lydon Micallef completely unmarked at the far end to head past the keeper.
Ten-man Senglea never looked to carry sufficient threat to haul themselves back into the match and Hamrun capitalised by scoring a third goal ten minutes from the end. Defender Cristian Zaccardo turned attacker as he headed in Espindola’s cross from the right.
Senglea were also denied some consolation in the dying minutes. Sammjut had two shots blocked in quick succession, one by keeper Sultana and the other by defender Zerafa.
