Unstoppable Hibs rip Sliema apart

Sliema Wanderers 0
Hibernians 5
Failla 31; Soares Borges 56, 72; Scerri 78; Farrugia 90

The second half had only reached the halfway stage when the euphoric Hibs fans were heard singing 'We are the champions'.

With seven games left for the end of the 2008-09 Premier League season, the chanting of the Hibs fans sounded a tad premature but they definitely have good reason to be optimistic about their team's chances of winning the title.

Heartened by the failure of their title rivals Valletta and Birkirkara to gain maximum points from their last outings, Hibs put on another show of force when crushing Sliema Wanderers to increase their lead at the top to six points.

The early exchanges raised hopes of a balanced and combative encounter as Sliema were having a good go at their opponents but once Clayton Failla broke their resistance on the half-hour mark, Hibs began to attack with gusto to rip their opponents apart.

For the umpteenth time this season, Hibs served up a goal bonanza as they ran out 5-0 winners to embellish their reputation as the most entertaining team in the Premier League as well as their status as firm favourites to become Malta champions next month.

Aaron Xuereb was the only notable absentee from Hibs' starting line-up yesterday as he is still recuperating from injury.

Sliema Wanderers coach Stephen Azzopardi had several first-choice players missing yesterday, namely defenders Ian Azzopardi and Branko Nisevic, midfielder Mark Scerri and Costa Rican-born forward Victor Coto.

In light of his lively performance in Sliema's 3-0 victory over Marsaxlokk, the exclusion of Miguel Ciantar from Azzopardi's formation came as a surprise.

Sliema demonstrated their support for Puttinu Cares by putting up a streamer promoting the work of children cancer support group in the North Stand.

The Wanderers fashioned the first scoring opportunity after nine minutes. Taking a pass from Ivan Woods on the left, Daniel Severino curled in a teasing cross that just eluded John Mintoff.

Mark Miller favoured a 4-3-3 approach with Andrew Cohen and Zeferino Soares Borges granted licence to drift inside from the flanks in support of Terrence Scerri, Hibs' chief striker.

Azzopardi's plan was to exploit the pace of Mintoff in attack with Woods operating in the proverbial hole behind the striker.

On 24 minutes, Miller's men were unlucky not to break the stalemate as Edward Herrera's cross was met by Rumen Galabov whose back-header cannoned off the upright.

Two minutes short of the half hour, Alex Muscat threaded an excellent pass to Matthew Bartolo but the latter failed to properly control the ball and was eventually dispossessed by the sliding Muscat.

Three minutes later, Hibs stormed ahead. Pouncing on a mishit pass by Muscat, Failla surprised Henry Bonello with a rasping long-range drive that flew between the diving Sliema goalkeeper and the near post.

Galvanised by their breakthrough, Hibs continued to pressurise their opponents. Christian Callejas headed wide from a corner and Scerri did likewise when rising to meet a free-kick.

At the start of the second half, Bonello used his towering frame to fist the ball away from Adrian Pulis following a Failla free-kick.

The score would have become 1-1 but Bajada's swerving free-kick hit the crossbar with Muscat beaten.

This was on 54 minutes. From the distinct prospect of levelling matters, Sliema fell 2-0 behind two minutes later. Cohen engineered the move with a trademark run through the middle before setting up Soares Borges who darted past the Sliema defence from the blindside, evaded Bonello's intervention and side-footed the ball into the net.

With 18 minutes remaining, Hibs killed the game as a contest when Galabov released Scerri on the right and the Malta striker put in a low cross for Soares Borges to rifle the ball past Bonello.

Scerri got in on the act 12 minutes from time with a sweetly-struck volley after the Sliema defence had failed to clear a Ben Camilleri cross.

Hibs made it 5-0 on the stroke of time, Jean Paul Farrugia, who had just replaced Cohen, depositing the ball into the net after running clear of the Sliema defence to reach Herrera's through-ball.

Moments later, substitute Leighton Grech hit the post.

Sliema Wanderers
H. Bonello-4.5, A. Muscat-5.5 ('68 K.P. Farrugia-4), N. Turner-5 ('73 J. Vella), M. Bartolo-4, J. Chetcuti-5, I. Woods-5, L. Dronca-4, D. Severino-5, I. Ciantar-4, R. Bajada-5.5, J. Mintoff-5 ('60 M. Ciantar-5).

Hibernians
M. Muscat-6.5, J. Caruana-7, A. Pulis-6, E. Herrera-6.5, C. Failla-7.5 ('75 B. Camilleri), C. Callejas-6, T. Scerri-6.5, A. Cohen-6.5 ('85 J.P. Farrugia), J. Pearson-5, R. Galabov-7, Z. Soares Borges-7.5 ('80 L. Grech).

Referee: Marco Borg.

Yellow cards: Mintoff; Soares Borges;

BoV player of the match: Clayton Failla (Hibs).