Gatt urges euphoric Hibs to retain focus

The euphoria of the Hibs` players and fans after last Sunday`s 3-1 victory over Sliema Wanderers was more than justified given the significance of that result.

Four points to the good and with only three matches remaining, the team from Paola are odds on favourites to lay their hands on the Rothmans Premier League cup for the first time since it was renamed after the current sponsors.

Although the Paolites are already being talked of as the new champions of Malta, their coach Robert Gatt was quick to stress the importance of today`s match with Hamrun Spartans (kick-off 5 p.m.).

"This game is just as important as the previous one against Sliema, meaning that we must go into the match with maximum concentration.

"There is no denying that we have edged closer to the title after our win against Sliema but before mathematics dictate that the title issue is closed, we cannot afford to relax," Gatt told The Times.

Wing-back Miguel Mifsud is unlikely to start today due to injury but otherwise Gatt has no selection worries. Hibs could wrap up the title this weekend should they win and Sliema lose their derby with Floriana but Gatt said he was only concerned with his team`s performance.

"I am not thinking about what might happen if our opponents lose or win. All I`m thinking of at the moment is to guide my team to victories in the remaining matches," the former Malta U-21 mentor said.

Hibs` impressive rise as the leading candidates for the title has taken a few people by surprise for the Paolites were not bracketed among the favourites at the start of the season. Even Gatt admitted that they set out to claim a top-three berth.

"Our goal was to improve on last season by filling one of the elite three positions. But our overall performance in the first phase where the team showed that it was capable of challenging for the honours, prompted us to revise our targets. It has not been easy because all teams in the Championship Pool are balanced and competitive."

Gatt, whose contract with Hibs has one more season to go, identified the players` desire to prove themselves as the key to their newly-found consistency.

"Our high level of consistency owes to hard work in training and motivation. We have a very healthy competition for places at Hibs and that helps to keep the players on their toes.

"Moreover, I cannot but not mention the crucial role played by the committee who backed all decisions of the technical staff," Gatt said.

One player who suffered because of the competition for first-team berths at Hibs and eventually opted to leave was striker Stefan Sultana.

Today, the Spartans skipper will try to put skids under his former side`s challenge not only to help his side achieve their second Championship Pool win but also to bolster his quest to become Malta`s all-time leading striker.

"In the early days of the season, I think no-one thought that Hibs would last the distance because of the top teams, their squad was the least experienced. But as the season progressed, Hibs showed that their enthusiasm and team spirit more than made up for that.

"Hibs have an advantage on the other teams in that they train in the best football environment in Malta," Sultana said.

During his three-year stint with Hibs, Sultana forged an excellent relationship with the players and the fans and he confessed his wish to see them being crowned champions of Malta this season.

"If Hamrun cannot win the title, then my next option is Hibs. I just hope they don`t clinch the title against us though."

Much has been made of Hamrun`s failure to make an impact on the Championship Pool but Sultana said the team can now aspire to build on their maiden victory against Birkirkara.

"Our victory against Birkirkara should have silenced a few people who were taking us to task for not gaining a point since the second phase started.

"People tend to overlook the fact that, unlike the other teams, we don`t have a big squad and injuries took their toll. But, overall, it has been a positive season for Hamrun... we are in the top six and in the quarter-finals of the trophy."

Previous results - Hibernians vs Hamrun 1-0, 1-1, 2-0.

Valletta and Birkirkara with a point to prove

Forced to live in the shadow of Hibs and with their fans on their back, the pressure is on outgoing champions Valletta and rivals Birkirkara to gain three points from their clash tomorrow at 5 p.m. to keep alive their hopes of an automatic berth in the UEFA Cup.

Last weekend, both the Citizens and the Stripes failed to stem the tide of scepticism with two unexpected defeats... Valletta endured the disappointment of losing 1-0 to arch-rivals Floriana while Bir-kirkara suffered the ignominy of becoming the first team to lose a Championship Pool match against Hamrun.

Valletta`s inert performance against Floriana was in stark contrast with their showing in the 4-2 defeat of Hibernians the previous week.

The manner with which the Citizens conceded defeat sparked an angry reaction among their fans who could stage a protest at the stadium tomorrow.

Valletta`s performances of late and their remaining commitments in the league and Trophy competitions were discussed during a players` meeting at the City club yesterday evening.

Sources told The Times that Valletta players called the meeting in the wake of their 1-0 defeat to Floriana which dented their chances of finishing third in the Premier League.

The future of their beleaguered coach Georgi Deanov was also on the agenda of yesterday`s meeting but it seems that the club will keep faith with the Bulgarian till the end of the season.

For tomorrow`s game against Birkirkara, Deanov must cope without Ivan Zammit who aggravated a knee injury last Saturday.

Zammit is expected to be sidelined from three to six weeks, depending on the extent of his injury. David Carabott is still recovering from a broken foot while left-back Renie Forace is suspended. The only tonic for Valletta is the return from suspension of skipper Kris Laferla.

Birkirkara, joint-third with Valletta on 26 points, failed to capitalise on their rivals` earlier slip-up when going down to the Spartans. Injuries continue to dog Birkirkara`s plans as sweeper Lucien Dronca and Mark Anthony Bonnici joined their growing casualty list last Saturday.

Kenneth Scicluna has also been virtually ruled out till the end of the season, joining long-term injury victims Michael Spiteri and Antoine Zahra. Hubert Suda has yet to return after undergoing a knee operation but he could make a comeback for the Rothmans Trophy.

Stephen Azzopardi, the Birkirkara coach, welcomes back in the fray Chucks Nwoko who missed the 1-0 defeat to Hamrun due to suspension.

Previous results - Valletta vs Birkirkara 3-1, 0-0, 1-1.

Naxxar Lions vs Lija Athletic (today at 2.30 p.m., National Stadium) - Naxxar must win their match against relegated side Lija to maintain their thin hopes of evading the drop. However, the decision of the Naxxar committee to show the door to their foreign players before the end of the league trek has been widely seen as an act of surrender.

Yugoslavs Attila Hornjak and Goran Mejic, who would still have missed today`s game because of suspension, have already returned to their country while Nigerian Daniel Nwoke has also been told that his services are no longer required.

Daniel Bogdanovic could also be unavailable alongside the suspended Simon Muscat. This list of absentees will leave player-coach Edmund Lufi with no other option but to introduce several young players.

Lija have nothing to play for bar pride after Pietà`s defeat of Naxxar a few weeks ago condemned them to Division One football.

Previous results - Naxxar L. vs Lija A. 4-2, 2-3, 2-2.

Sliema vs Floriana (tomorrow at 2.30 p.m., Ta` Qali) - Talk of crisis at Sliema is rife after the Wanderers squandered another golden opportunity to seize top spot following their 3-1 loss to Hibernians.

Their players and coach have received a lot of flak for the team`s failure to beat Hibernians and it looks like their efforts will now be geared towards the Trophy.

Jeff Wood will have had a tough job to raise the morale of his players after their tepid display against Hibs.

Tomorrow Sliema square up to Old-Firm rivals Floriana whose spirits were lifted by their 1-0 victory over Valletta.

It remains to be seen whether Sliema`s English coach will opt to ring the changes after last Sunday`s debacle but his options are restricted by injuries to Noel Turner and Roger Walker.

Floriana coach Ziya Yildiz is boosted by the return of Etienne Barbara but must make do without Claude Mattocks, suspended and goalkeeper Justin Haber. Charles Sciberras is doubtful.

Previous results - Sliema vs Floriana 0-1, 0-2, 3-0.

Note: This weekend`s opening Premier League matches were brought forward 30 minutes due to a Special Olympics activity to be held between matches at the National Stadium.