The Malta Independent on Sunday
Hibernians heading towards right direction
Football - Bank of Valletta Premier League
the platform they constructed to press into the final third.
With an extra man for the entire second half, and Birkirkara dire, the main question was whether the champions would summon enough quality to claim three points. This they rather did with conviction and plenty to spare.
Hibernians caretaker coach Mario Muscat dropped Neto and Jorginho and gave Jurgen Degabriele a central role in attack. Marcelo Dias returned after a long absence and started in a wide attacking role on the left, with Joseph Mbong wide on the right. Clayton Failla, also back in the side after missing the match against Lija, played as left back, flanking Kreuzriegler and Agius in central defence, with Tabone Desira on the right and Soares slightly in front of the back four.
Birkirkara had central defender Lucas Maia suspended and started with Herrera and Rolovic on the bench. Matthew Guillaumier partnered Andelkovic in front of their fourman defence, with Barbosa and Vukanac the central pair. Jake Grech and Waldemar Ferreira shared attacking responsibilities, but, surprisingly, lacked any menace.
In fact Hibernians’ keeper Andrew Hogg was a relative by-stander throughout the game and was only beaten by Rolovic’s late penalty.
Hibernians, visibly refreshed after the break, opened with a high tempo, forcing the Stripes into a collective retreat. They had already gone close on two occasions before the quarter hour.
After 10 minutes, Dias made progress down the left, on a Tabone Desira pass, but his shot ended narrowly off target.
Three minutes later, Degabriele headed Kreuzreigler’s cross fractionally wide.
Midway through the half, Birkirkara keeper Naumowski rushed off his line to thwart Mbong, who nearly capitalised on an Attard short back header.
With wide backs Attard and Zammit being exposed time and again, the champions continued to look menacing. Lima and Vella met minimal resistance as they controlled midfield.
On the half hour, Lima’s shot from a distance sailed over and the same player had his effort blocked after connecting to a Dias low cross that had cut the entire Birkirkara backline.
Short of the break, Lima ran in for Degabriele’s pass but keeper Naumowski saved into a corner.
And deep in the half’s five minutes of added time, Birkirkara’s midfielder Andlekovic was sent off after fouling Dias and collecting his second booking within minutes. Club official Michael Valenzia was also dismissed from the bench following harsh protests.
That dismissal stretched coach Zammit’s options. The Stripes played with two walls of four in the second half, with Grech retreating in midfield when Hibernians won possession.
But Hibernians soon exploited their numerical superiority and hit the Stripes with three goals within seven minutes.
Jackson Lima opened the scoring just past the hour, beating keeper Naumowski with his header off a Failla cross. On 68 minutes Degabriele provided the cross for Joseph Mbong to head in, with the ball hitting the innerside of the post.
Hardly one minute later, Birkirkara were undone by Hibernians’ third goal. Jurgen Degabriele completed the route, picking substitute Jorginho’s cross to hit at the top left hand corner of Naumowski.
The Birkirkara custodian saved his side from further derision as he blocked shots from Jorginho and Degabriele before the Stripes earned some scant consolation with a 90th minute penalty from substitute Ognjen Rolovic after he was himself floored inside the Hibernians area.