Resilient City show their mettle to keep title race alive

Valletta 2
Massaro 14; Falzon 43
Hibernians 1
Soares Borges 39

The National Stadium was not a place for the faint-hearted last night, especially if you happen to support either Valletta or Hibs. These two heavyweights of Maltese football faced each other for the third time in the league but the stakes were distinctly higher than in their previous encounters.

With a six-point lead over Valletta and on a roll after winning their previous six matches, Hibs knew that victory yesterday would have edged them closer to the promised land but on the other side of the coin, the champions had to win to stay in with a chance of retaining the title.

In a pulsating encounter, Valletta eked out a 2-1 victory to reduce the gap on Hibs to three points and increase the likelihood of an enthralling run-in, what with these two rivals having to play each other on the final day of the season.

The champions were worthy winners yesterday not only because they showed more resilience than the Paolites but moreso because they produced the better fare with Brazilian Paulo Massaro and Dyson Falzon both giving virtuoso performances.

Hibs contributed richly in making this an epic match but they were knocked off their stride by the energetic Citizens whose collective resolve enabled them to make light of the premature exit of goalkeeper Andrew Hogg, because of injury. To this end, credit should be given to Nicky Vella, Hogg's understudy, for another reassuring display.

The wet weather yesterday had raised fears that this eagerly-awaited match might be called off. Much to the relief of the fans of Valletta and Hibs, the game went ahead as planned after the pitch of the National Stadium was deemed fit to host 90 minutes of football.

The sight of Andrew Cohen stepping onto the pitch will have raised the spirits of the Hibs fans as the nippy playmaker was regarded as doubtful with a groin strain. Mark Miller, the Hibs coach, made only one change from the team that beat Birkirkara 2-0, Ben Camilleri replacing the injured Adrian Pulis.

Paul Zammit's team selection contained a few surprises. Restored to the starting formation were the trio of first-team players who missed the 1-0 defeat of Marsaxlokk with suspension, namely goalkeeper Andrew Hogg, midfielder Roderick Briffa and striker Ian Zammit. Their inclusion was to be expected but the exclusion of Priso Doding and, to a lesser extent, Seba Monesterolo, is likely to have been met with a few raised eyebrows.

Falzon's fine performance against Marsaxlokk and the availability of Zammit were the two main reasons behind Zammit's decision to leave out Priso and Monesterolo but the City coach also elected to start with Massaro.

The Brazilian was Valletta's most advanced player as Zammit favoured a kind of a 4-2-3-1 approach with Falzon and Ian Zammit deployed on the wings and Gilbert Agius operating behind Massaro.

Miller's tactical module was, by and large, the same as his Valletta counterpart as Terrence Scerri was Hibs' main man in attack with three other players, namely Cohen, Zeferino Soares Borges and Camilleri, looking to flit into dangerous positions on the flanks and also through the centre.

In the opening stages, Valletta's Gilbert Agius hit wide from inside the box after Falzon had served him with a inch-measured pass.

By way of showing their intent to take the game to Valletta, Hibs fashioned two chances in quick succession. In the first instant, Hogg touched Zeferino Soares Borges' grounder away for a corner and, minutes later, the Valletta goalkeeper pulled off an even better save to smother away Cohen's dipping shot.

It didn't take long for the stalemate to be broken. It was Valletta who drew first blood. Steve Bezzina's cross from the left found the Hibs defender in a state of disarray as Clayton Failla appeared to have controlled the ball with his hands. Shouts of penalty echoed around the stadium, referee Clayton Pisani was unmoved but amid the ensuing uncertainty, the ball was deflected into the path of Massaro who drilled his shot past Muscat.

On 26 minutes, a fine move by Valletta ought to have yielded another goal as Massaro shielded the ball from his marker before releasing Briffa in the box but his cross-cum-shot rolled across the face of goal but found no takers.

As the first half strayed into its final stages, Hibs stirred. A series of crosses caused consternation in the City defence and, on 39 minutes , the Paolites equalised. A long throw by Camilleri soared into the City box and was nodded on towards the far post where Soares Borges fired home.

In the action leading up to Hibs' leveller, Valletta goalkeeper Hogg suffered a knee injury and was taken off on a stretcher. Vella, Valletta's hero in the victory over Marsaxlokk, came on for Hogg.

The sadness of the City fans at the double blow of conceding a goal and losing their no.1 goalkeeper soon gave way to joy as their team restored their one-goal lead straight from the restart.

A prolonged raid produced successive shots by Falzon, Edmund Agius and Briffa that were repelled by the Hibs defence. The loose ball again fell to Falzon who struck at the second attempt with a perfectly-hit shot that flew past Muscat's groping hands.

At the start of the second half, Miller introduced Jean Paul Farrugia instead of Camilleri.

Seven minutes into the second half, Gilbert Agius cut in from the right before setting up Falzon whose first-time effort was diverted away a for a corner.

Hibs then won a free-kick after Luke Dimech barged into the advancing Scerri. Failla scooped his shot over the defensive wall but the ball sailed over the bar.

Midway into the second half, Zammit effected his first substitution, Priso coming on for Zammit.

Minutes later, Valletta's Edmund Agius, yesterday facing his former club, required medical attention after suffering a head injury. For a time it looked as though the former Malta U-21 midfielder would have to abandon the match but Agius rejoined the fray after medics wrapped a bandage around his head.

With 17 minutes left, Hibs threatened to make it 2-2. Christian Callejas's free-kick sailed towards the goalmouth where Farrugia appeared to flick the ball towards goal but the ball came off the crossbar.

Monesterolo, who had just replaced Massaro, could have sealed Valletta's victory when he capitalised on Muscat's half-clearance to surge through but his shot was blocked by the sliding Jonathan Pearson.

In stoppage time, Valletta were reduced to 10 men when Briffa was dismissed after his late tackle on Caruana earned him a second caution.

Valletta
A. Hogg-6.5 ('43 N. Vella-6.5), J. Grioli-6.5, K. Scicluna-6.5, L. Dimech-6.5, S. Bezzina-7, E. Agius-6.5, R. Briffa, I. Zammit-6.5 ('68 D. Priso-6), D. Falzon-7.5, P. Massaro-8 ('82 S. Monesterolo), G. Agius-7.

Hibernians
M. Muscat-5, J. Caruana-7, E. Herrera-5, B. Camilleri-4 ('46 J.P. Farrugia-5.5), C. Failla-4, Z. Soares Borges-6, R. Galabov-5, C. Callejas-5.5, T. Scerri-5, A. Cohen-6, J. Pearson-6.

Referee: Clayton Pisani.

Yellow cards: Briffa; Scicluna; Falzon; Dimech; Farrugia; Priso; Monesterolo.

Red card: Briffa (V) 90.

BoV player of the match: Dyson Falzon (Valletta).