Qormi tighten grip on third

Qormi 3
Effiong 44, 54; Camilo 63
Hibernians 0

Qormi strengthened their grip on third place in the Premier League after a comfortable win over the fading Hibernians.

Jesmond Zerafa's team were rarely troubled as they secured their third win in the Championship Pool to move three points clear of Sliema in third.

Qormi are undoubtedly in their best form and they should have gone into the break with more than a one-goal advantage, with Alfred Effiong scuffing a volley wide on the half hour mark and then failing to direct a menacing cross on target from routine distance.

But Qormi's attacking threat mainly came from the Nigerian who whizzed past 18-year-old Yan Cauchi with ease to provide plenty of ammunition in the box.

The first half was scrappy with Hibs enjoying their fair share of possession but struggling in the final third. Indeed, they looked like a side that had failed to win a point in their previous four matches. Hibs will have been under no illusions about the size of their task after facing the same opposition in the FA Trophy last Monday.

Qormi ended Hibs' hopes of winning a trophy this season after coming out on top in a penalty shoot-out following a one-all draw.

That result increased the pressure on Mark Miller, the Hibs' coach, who knew that the champions' only realistic hope of securing a European berth rests with the Premier League - and nothing on display yesterday suggested that is a viable option for the Paolites.

In the wake of their FA Trophy clash six days earlier, when Effiong's trademark runs caught Hibs on the wrong foot, Miller had urged his players to stay focused, not least to swift counter-attacks.

Yet, for long stretches it looked as though the Englishman's words had fallen on deaf ears.

On the half hour mark, Effiong raced clear down the right but with Joseph Farrugia screaming for the ball to be played into the box, the Nigerian went alone but his composure deserted him as he sliced a decent chance horribly wide.

Missing the forward thrust of Portuguese striker Miguel Lopes de Pina, the Paolities needed to mix it in midfield, where Andrew Cohen and Elton Morelato were feeding off scraps. It was with that purpose in mind that Miller deployed Ben Camilleri in the unusual lone striking position.

Hibs predictably relied on set-pieces to put their opponents under pressure. In fact, on 20 minutes, Cohen's delivery speared across the box but nobody could get on the end of it.

But Hibs problems were summed up in the 44th minute, when Effiong took the ball off the toes of Jonathan Pearson and set off on yet another of his dazzling runs before unleashing a low drive past Muscat.

The odds were against a Hibs fightback, bearing in mind they have won only one game in the Championship Pool and their task was made all the more difficult when Effiong doubled Qormi's lead after 54 minutes. He won a 50-50 ball with Pearson as he was on hand to send the ball into the far corner of the net.

Then, the predatory Camilo sprung into action nine minutes later to score his 23rd league goal. In a blistering counter-attack, Farrugia found Camilo whose first attempt from the edge of the area was blocked by Muscat's feet but the ball came straight back to him and this time he beat the Hibernians keeper with a well-struck shot.

Qormi thereafter played out for time to conserve energy for the battles ahead, safe in the knowledge that they had sent out a clear warning to Sliema.

Qormi
M. Farrugia-6, Ramon-6, D. Pisani-6, M. Grima-6, M. Bartolo-7 ('85 R. Deguara), K. Fenech-6, A. Effiong-8 ('70 S. Meilak), J. Farrugia-6.5 ('84 S. Giglio), Camilo-7, J. Bondin-6.5, S. Wellman-6.5.

Hibernians
M. Muscat-5, A. Xuereb-5, J. Pearson-4.5 ('78 M. Tabone), E. Herrera-5, C. Callejas-5.5 ('67 T. Caruana), Y. Cauchi-5, C. Camilleri-5, A. Cohen-5.5, E. Morelato-5.5, B. Camilleri-5 ('67 J.P. Farrugia), J. Caruana-6.5.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Xuereb; Camilo; Fenech.

BOV player of the match: Alfred Effiong (Qormi).