Birkirkara 0
Hibernians 3
Soares 44; Edison 74; Failla 77;
Hibernians inflicted a total humiliation on Birkirkara and the final 3-0 scoreline does not do justice to the superiority of Mark Miller’s side over the Stripes.
Before the match, the Englishman had called on his players to show their true mettle against Birkirkara and they responded in spectacular fashion.
Andrew Cohen was Hibs’ inspiration and Luis Edison do Santos also made his mark with a stunning goal with Clayton Failla and Rodolfo Soares the other scorers.
Mark Miller’s team lined up in a trendy 4-2-3-1 formation, with Failla, Cohen and Edison the supporting cast for debutant Marcelo Dias.
Birkirkara, who have adopted a seemingly shut-up shop 4-5-1 formation, were timid early on and rarely threatened in the first half.
Edison looked extremely comfortable in the centre of Hibernians’ midfield and his range of passing more than made up for Steve Pisani’s absence – with Miller preferring Edward Herrera up on the right flank, as the former Vittoriosa striker went close with a rasping drive after six minutes.
Dias began to get on the end of more of the Paolities’ crosses and after 17 minutes, the striker charged down Edison’s pass and raced clear, only to be blocked by Joseph Zerafa as he shaped to round keeper Jorge Mora. The ball fell kindly to the striker whose shot sailed over.
Deployed on the left, Edison was given lots of room by Birkirkara right-back Angus Buhagiar. On 26 minutes, Hibernians caused Mora more problems, with the Spanish keeper saving from Cohen’s header.
After a relatively quiet period, Birkirkara had their first real glimpse at goal after 27 minutes but Mario Muscat denied Leighton Grech who was clean through on goal.
The Paolities should have scored before soon after when Edison dispossessed Terence Vella and then sprinted forward before he was tripped just outside the box.
Cohen went even closer on 43 minutes with a fizzing free-kick that Mora punched away. But that reprieve for Birkirkara proved shortlived and Hibernians got a timely breakthrough just before half-time.
Cohen’s delivery from a corner found Soares who worked some space before turning and firing the ball into the roof of the net.
Cilia halted some of Hibernians’ momentum after the change of ends when he took advantage of slack marking but his shot was too central to trouble Muscat.
But it made little difference amid a torrent of near misses and saves from the desperately exposed Mora.
Birkirkara survived on the hour mark when they were undone again by another piece of Edison brilliance. The Brazilian linked up with substitute Pisani before dispatching the finish past the motionless Stripes keeper, only to be denied by the post.
With Patrick Curmi’s side in disarray, Edison unleashed a powerful drive that Mora turned into a corner after 63 minutes. Cilia briefly interrupted the one-way flow but he chipped his shot over.
It barely seemed possible for matters to get worse for Birkirkara, but the agony increased after 74 minutes, when Mora rushed out to deal with Cohen’s cross but he incredibly miskicked the ball which looped behind him, leaving Edison with the easy task of tapping home.
Three minutes later it was 3-0. Both Cohen and Edison had a huge hand in helping Failla to put the ball into the net. The Brazilian sped down the right then cut inside and exchanged the ball with Cohen who laid the ball back to Failla who fired home.
At the death, Cohen squandered an opportunity to get on the score sheet after referee Esther Azzopardi awarded a penalty when Zerafa tangled with the nippy midfielder but his shot was blocked by Mora.
Birkirkara
J. Mora-5, R. Pereira-5.5, G. Sciberras-6, P. Fenech-5.5, T. Cilia-6, T. Vella-5 (54 R. Camenzuli), A. Tabone-5.5 (84 R. Scicluna), M. Avila-5, L. Grech-5,5, J. Zerafa-5, A. Buhagiar-5.5.
Hibernians
M. Muscat-6, R. Camilleri-6, A. Pulis-6 (80 T. Caruana), D. Balbinot-6, E. Herrera-6.5, C. Failla-7, B. Kristensen-6, R. Soares-6.5 (86 P. Anizoba), A. Cohen-7.5, M. Dias-5.5 (52 S. Pisani-6.5), L. Edison-7.
Referee: Esther Azzopardi.
Yellow cards: G. Sciberras, R. Pereira, M. Avila, J. Mora.
Missed penalty: Cohen (H) 90.
BOV player of the match: Luis Edison (Hibernians).