City roar back to tame Hibs

Hibernians 2
Caruana 48; Cohen 49
Valletta 4
Agius 17, 70; Sammut 76; Priso 79

'One aim one unit' read the slogan on the t-shirts worn by the Valletta players as they ran on to the pitch for the start of their eagerly-awaited showdown against champions Hibs yesterday.

The message was intended to demonstrate that Valletta's squad is united but little did the Citizens know that this match would throw up testing circumstances that required them to show unity and resolve on the field of play.

Having taken a deserved lead through captain Gilbert Agius inside the opening 20 minutes, Valletta were in control for much of the opening half but their failure to translate their supremacy into goals left this match in the balance.

The erstwhile subdued Hibs stunned their opponents with a two-goal flurry in the first three minutes of the second half and, for a moment, it looked as though the champions were set to emulate their first-round victory over Valletta.

The onus was now on the star-studded Citizens to show they were truly a 'one unit' chasing a common aim and they were not found wanting. Showing a never-say-die attitude that had been missing from some of their less convincing performances this season, Valletta launched a barrage of attacks on the faltering Hibs who all but threw in the towel when the excellent Agius hit his second of the match to spark a three-goal surge that propelled his team to the summit with 33 points.

Valletta are now three points clear of Birkirkara but the latter will pull back on level terms if they win their outstanding match against Floriana tomorrow.

Hibs coach Miller had a surprise up his sleeve as he drafted a new striker in his starting XI. Portuguese forward Miguel Lopes de Pina, who has had spells in Moldova, Romania and Cyprus, started a trial with Hibs last week but it seems that Miller has been sufficiently impressed to thrust him straight into the thick of things for his side's eagerly-awaited clash with Valletta.

Latvian forward Olegs Malasenoks made way for Lopes de Pina who was the focal point of Hibs' attack as the returning Etienne Barbara was initially deployed wide on the right and Andrew Cohen on the left.

Uruguayan midfielder Christian Callejas made his comeback for Hibs yesterday after completing his rehab from a knee problem.

Heartened by Valletta's fluid second-half showing in the 1-0 defeat of Qormi, Ton Caanen stuck with a 4-2-3-1 formation that was topped by Terrence Scerri.

Captain Gilbert Agius, back in the frame after seeing out his two-match ban, regained his place in the initial line-up as Caanen made two changes from the Qormi match. Irish striker Declan O'Brien's exclusion was to be expected, given that Valletta played better with Scerri as a lone striker against Qormi, but the exclusion of Cameroonian winger Doding Priso, singled out by Hibs' captain Mario Muscat as Valletta's most potent weapon, took many by surprise.

Scoring chances were at a premium in the opening exchanges. The game was 13 minutes old when Valletta's Dyson Falzon advanced on the left before cutting the ball back for Agius who hit wide. At the other end, Aaron Xuereb was first to a loose ball after Valletta had partially cleared a Cohen corner and his cross from the left was met by fellow defender Jonathan Caruana who headed over.

In their next foray forward, Valletta seized the lead. There seemed little danger for Hibs when Jamie Pace attempted a shot from outside the area but the ball was deflected into the path of Agius who blasted past Mario Muscat.

Hibs took a while to get going after Agius's opener. On 25 minutes, Scerri threatened to further complicate matters for his former team when he nipped between Xuereb and Caruana to retrieve a long ball from Steve Bezzina. The towering forward veered to his left and unleashed a piledriver that sailed over the bar.

Adrian Pulis nodded wide after connecting with Xuereb's overhead kick from the edge of the box. Moments later, Agius directed a through-ball to Scerri who charged into the box where he seemed to have been brought down by Caruana's sliding tackle. Shouts of 'penalty' rang around the stadium but referee Alan Mario Sant saw nothing untoward.

Borg was having trouble coping with Cohen's intelligent movement on the right. Danger loomed for Valletta when Cohen cut inside the young right-back but his shot was too central to trouble Hogg.

Hibs were now oozing signs of life but Valletta offered a constant threat on the counter. Scerri outmuscled Caruana but his thunderous strike was off target. Seconds later, Falzon burst clear on the left and crossed for Scerri who looked odds-on to score but his effort went wide.

On the verge of half-time, Kevin Sammut slipped a through-ball to Scerri but, for the umpteenth time, the Valletta striker lifted his shot over the bar.

The two teams were unchanged after half-time. Hibs began the second period like a house on fire, hitting Valletta with a two-goal blitz.

Barely three minutes from the start of the second half had elapsed when Hibs equalised, Caruana storming ahead of the Valletta defenders and Hogg to head Cohen's cross into the net.

Less than a minute later, Hibs struck again, this time thanks to Cohen who nodded the ball home from point blank after Valletta had failed to deal with Barbara's incursion and cross from the right to send the Hibs fans into raptures.

Valletta had been in command for the best of the first half but Hibs' two-goal surge shook them out of their comfort zone.

Caanen responded by bringing on Priso for Falzon. A minute past the hour, Valletta would have made it 2-2 when Briffa's intelligent pass released Agius who ghosted through but his goalbound shot was deflected for a corner by Caruana.

Midway into the second half, Lopes de Pina should have secured victory for Hibs when Cohen's free-kick from the left found him unmarked but the Portuguese newcomer headed wide.

Sights were drawn to Scicluna who suffered a cut near his left eye after being caught out by the elbow of Lopes de Pina. For a period, Valletta only had 10 men on the pitch as Scicluna was seen to by medics but their spirits rose when Agius made it 2-2 with 20 minutes left.

Latching onto another gem of a pass from Briffa, the inspirational City captain rifled the ball past Muscat and into the roof of the net from an angled position. Six minutes later, Valletta moved ahead.

Scicluna delivered a teasing cross from a free-kick, Agius's header was diverted sideways where the unmarked Sammut guided past Muscat.

Cue scenes of wild joy in the Valletta end. Hibs were now on the ropes, their task further compounded by the knocks suffered by Cohen and Caruana.

Caanen's men now went for the jugular and, 11 minutes from time, Priso killed off Hibs when despatching his shot past Muscat after receiving from Sammut.

Hibernians
M. Muscat-5, E. Herrera-5, A. Pulis-5, J. Caruana-6.5 ('88 C. Camilleri), M. Lopes de Pina-4 ('77 B. Camilleri), A. Xuereb-6, J. Pearson-5 ('84 R. Camilleri), R. Galabov-4, C. Callejas-4, E. Barbara-5, A. Cohen-6.5.

Valletta
A. Hogg-5.5, S. Bezzina-6, S. Borg-6, L. Dimech-6, K. Scicluna-6.5, G. Agius-8.5 ('82 D. O'Brien), K. Sammut-6.5 ('86 E. Agius), J. Pace-6, R. Briffa-8, T. Scerri-6.5, D. Falzon-6.5 ('59 D. Priso-6.5).

Referee: Alan Mario Sant.

Yellow cards: Lopes de Pina; Bezzina; Dimech; Muscat; Priso; Xuereb.

BOV player of the match: Gilbert Agius (Valletta).