Substitute Doda strikes late to punish former club

Marsaxlokk 2
Hibernians 1

In the lead-up to this top-of-the-table match, much of the attention had centred on Brian Talbot's first clash, in sporting terms of course, with his former employers.

The Briton had the last laugh yesterday as Marsaxlokk prevailed by the odd goal in three in an entertaining encounter but it was another former Hibs employee, Haruna Doda, who stole the show.

Doda had been on the pitch for two minutes when he leapt high to power a corner into the net and nudge Marsaxlokk 2-1 ahead. The southerners have now moved clear at the top of the table with 18 points from seven matches.

The opening exchanges were highlighted by a superb goal that gave Marsaxlokk a deserved fifth-minute lead.

Receiving a pass from Kevin Sammut, Daniel Bogdanovic served up further evidence of his rich vein of form with a magnificent strike that looped over Mario Muscat and into the net.

Interestingly, all players in Talbot's starting formation were Maltese. Five of them, Sammut, Steve Wellman, Luke Dimech, Jamie Pace and Andrè Schembri, played a prominent role in Malta's famous 2-1 victory over Hungary while midfielder Gareth Sciberras was an unused substitute in the midweek international.

Marsaxlokk's two foreign players, Brazilian Andre Rocha Da Silva and Nigerian Doda, started on the bench.

Robert Gatt, the Hibs coach, put his trust in the 11 players who extended the team's winning streak to five consecutive matches with their 3-1 dismissal of Valletta in their previous outing.

Twelve minutes into the game, the sights of the Hibs players and coaches turned towards referee Clayton Pisani as Ndubisi Chukunyere ended on the turf after being challenged by Wellman. However, the man in the middle allowed play to continue.

Minutes later, Terrence Scerri squeezed his way through but his effort was too central to trouble Reuben Gauci in Marsaxlokk's goal.

Bogdanovic's scorcher had stunned Hibs but gradually Gatt's troops began to drive forward with renewed purpose. Midway into the first half, Scerri rose high to meet Andrew Cohen's cross from a corner but the header from the stocky forward bounced wide of the far post.

Talbot gave specific instructions to Sammut and Cleaven Frendo, Marsaxlokk's wide midfield players, to swap positions occasionally.

Frendo, now pushing along the right wing after starting the game on the left side of Marsaxlokk's four-man midfield, threatened to expand his team's lead when bursting his way into the box but Hibs defender Kevin Cassar stretched himself to snuff out the danger.

Parity was restored eight minutes from half-time. Hibs' joy contrasted starkly with Marsaxlokk's dejection as referee Pisani decreed that Carlo Mamo had shackled Chukunyere as the latter tried to reach Cohen's free-kick.

Cohen held his nerve to steer a low shot into Gauci's goal.

As the end of a hard-fought first half drew closer, Marsaxlokk could have restored their lead when Sammut and Schembri combined perfectly to set up Frendo but the latter's shot was an anti-climax.

Marsaxlokk started the second half in adventurous mode. Bogdanovic curled a free-kick past the wall but the ball flew wide of the far post.

When Cassar, who has adapted well to the sweeper's role at the heart of Hibs' three-man rearguard, ran forward with the ball at his feet, danger loomed for Marsaxlokk. He passed to Cohen on the left but the latter drove high after sweeping past Malcolm Licari.

Marsaxlokk also had a chance to seize the initiative when Hibs' clearance from a Frendo corner landed in the path of Sammut. His grounder was blocked by Aaron Xuereb before the tireless Pablo Doffo scrambled away the danger.

After their bright start to the match, Marsaxlokk were now finding it hard to regain the initiative. As Hibs curtailed the supply lines from the middle, Bogdanovic and Schembri huffed and puffed to make some sort of impact.

By contrast, the Paolites were always dangerous when the likes of Chukunyere, Cohen, Scerri and Udo Nwoko embarked on a series of diagonal runs.

The second half had just passed its halfway point when Chukunyere supplied a pass to the advancing Scerri but the latter's drive was kept out by Gauci.

Charlò Magro, who had just come on for Luke Dimech, should have signalled his arrival with a goal but for a great save by Muscat.

The Hibs goalkeeper showed excellent reflexes when shifting to his left to palm away Magro's powerful header from point blank range following a corner by Frendo.

Another free-kick by Bogdanovic went high and wide before Talbot effected his second substitution, throwing in Doda instead of the subdued Schembri.

This would prove an inspired substitution as within minutes of his introduction, Doda had fired his team ahead with a glancing header from Frendo's corner.

Bogdanovic should have put Marsaxlokk's minds at rest when Sciberras's pass reached him at the far post but the former Sliema forward lost his balance as he was about to conclude.

Marsaxlokk: R. Gauci-6, D. Bogdanovic-7, K. Sammut-7, C. Mamo-5.5, S. Wellman-6, L. Dimech-6.5 ('73 C. Magro-6.5), J. Pace-6, C. Frendo-6, G. Sciberras-6, A. Schembri-6 ('83 H. Doda-7), M. Licari-6.

Hibs: M. Muscat-6.5, A. Xuereb-6.5, P. Doffo-8, T. Scerri-6.5, A. Cohen-6.5 ('78 M. Bartolo-5.5), R. Briffa-6.5, E. Agius-6.5, K. Cassar-7, C. Failla-6 ('88 T. Caruana), N. Chukunyere-8, U. Nwoko-6.

Referee: Clayton Pisani.

Scorers: Bogdanovic 5; Cohen 37 pen.; Doda 85.

Yellow Cards: Schembri; Xuereb; Failla; Pace.

BoV Player of the Match: Ndubisi Chukunyere (Hibs).