HIBERNIANS-1, BIRKIRKARA-2
A last-gasp goal from Argentine winger Emiliano Lattes gave Birkirkara a dramatic 2-1 win over Hibs this evening.
A hard-fought game produced an exciting finale as Andrew Cohen looked to have rescued a point for Hibs when he equalised with four minutes left but the spirited Birkirkara had the final say thanks to Lattes’s late strike.
Hibs created the first chance after four minutes. Cohen made a good run on the right before passing to Edward Herrera whose low effort from inside the box was saved by Manuel Bartolo.
The Paolites threatened again two minutes later. Herrera unpicked the Birkirkara defence with a floating cross from the right but Paul McManus’s acrobatic volley flew over the crossbar.
As Birkirkara struggled to get going, Hibs continued to play the better football. They protested for a penalty when McManus ended on the turf after being challenged by Patrick Borg but referee Adrian Azzopardi allowed play to continue.
Borg then came to Birkirkara’s rescue when clearing McManus’s goalbound header after the Scottish forward had connected with Adrian Pulis’s long ball.
Cohen was wide with a curling free-kick. Birkirkara’s first notable chance came late in the first half when Angus Buhagiar profited from Pulis’s hesitancy to run towards the byline before hitting a low cross. Hibs’
partial clearance was intercepted by Trevor Cilia who fired over the crossbar.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Cohen rattled the woodwork with a stinging drive but, on the stroke of half-time, it was Birkirkara surged ahead. The Hibs defence was caught napping as Terence Vella cut in from the right before arrowing a curling drive that sailed into the far corner of the net.
Birkirkara’s goal was a kick in the teeth for the erstwhile superior Hibs but Mark Miller’s men started the second half in attacking fashion.
Herrera should have equalised for Hibs when he showed pace and guile to burst through the Birkirkara defence but his final shot was inches wide.
At the other end, Matt Clarke, the Hibs defender, blocked Trevor Cilia’s tame effort after the latter had been freed by Emiliano Lattes. Birkirkara threatened again when Shaun Bajada waltzed his way into the box but his strike was pushed away by Muscat.
Bartolo did likewise at the other end, producing a good save to beat away Caruana’s screamer.
The ensuing corner, taken by Cohen, sparked a melee in the Birkirkara box as the ball was diverted back towards goal but Joseph Zerafa cleared the danger.
Caruana’s free-kick for Hibs then sailed over the bar before Bartolo denied the excellent Cohen with another fine save.
With four minutes left, Cohen scored a deserved equaliser for Hibs with a long-range scorcher that had the better of Bartolo but Birkirkara snatched a last-gasp winner.
Substitute Karl Pulo twisted his way into the box and guided a pass towards Rowen Muscat who was blocked by Pulis but the loose ball rolled to Lattes who slotted home.