Penalty gives Hibernians some respite
This narrow victory from an unimpressive display gives champions Hibernians some respite in their fight for the top places. A late Jorginho penalty, might have rewarded them for some coherent play in the second half after a disjointed first, but it could be seen as an injustice on Floriana.
Both sides failed to maintain a consistent run of league form. The champions had taken only one point from three previous winless matches while the Greens had lost two of their last four.
The absence of both Clayton Failla and Johann Bezzina, sitting on the bench depite eligible to play, meant that the onus was on Kristensen and Lima to provide some craft and guile behind Jorginho and Moreira. Yet Hibernians created little in a flat opening 45 minutes during which they never worked the Floriana keeper.
Floriana had spells of dominance in the first half, with Maurizio Vella neat and inventive on the ball from the heart of midfield, but their neat passing was invariably a second too slow, allowing Hibernains to keep their compact shape and barely fear penetration.
When, towards the half hour, they tried to break the Hibernians’ rearguard with a Vella through pass to Fontanella down the right, keeper Hogg rushed out to block the Floriana forward.
With halftime looming, Nayar went past Vella, crossed from the right but Lima cleared into a corner before Oyama could connect. From the resultant free kick Ruiz headed firmly at goal but keeper Hogg saved.
The closest Hibernians came to scoring in that period was in added time with a Lima direct free kick going over.
Hibernians showed slightly more enterprise after the interval, with the incursions of Mbong down the right. On the hour, Akpan stretched himself to fist out Kreuzreigler’s insidous cross from the left. Kreuzriegler had his shot deflected into a corner by Ruiz five minutes later.
The game badly needed a goal as the second half degenerated into a sterile encounter.
Hibernians introduced their latest recruit, the Georgian midfielder Giorgi Gorozia, replacing Kristensen, for the last 20 minutes.
The newcomer was involved in the incident that earned Hibernians a penalty five minutes later when he fell on Akpan’s outstretched legs after the Floriana keeper had lost the ball on an Mbong cross from the right.
Jorginho stepped up to score from the penalty spot.
Floriana’s response came six minutes before the end with Jurgen Pisani heading Vella’s free kick towards the top corner but Jorginho managed to head the ball out.
Floriana were lucky to get away with another penalty shout from Hibernians after Cini blocked Degabriele’s effort with his arm inside the area.