HIBERNIANS-0, TARXIEN RAINBOWS-1
Tarxien Rainbows pulled off a surprise as Ronallie's first-half goal inflicted the first defeat on leaders Hibernians.
With Hibs still unbeaten and flying high in the table, few gave Tarxien, languishing in the bottom half of the standings, a chance to defeat their derby rivals but the Rainbows produced spirited performance to secure three precious points in their bid to revive their Championship Pool hopes.
Hibs mustered the first chance, Andrew Cohen heading wide from Failla's free-kick inside the opening two minutes After five minutes, Tarxien nearly took the lead when Miguel Ciantar veered infield from the right but his grounder ended just wide of the far post after taking a deflection.
Hibs were quick to repond, Luis Edison bursting his way through to reach a cross but his strong drive was high and wide.
The Brazilian threatened again with a low strike that was narrowly wide.
Unflustered by Hibs' mounting pressure, the fired-up Rainbows stuck to their task of denying their opponents time on the ball and breaking on the counter.
Tarxien would have broken the stalemate but for a stunning save from Mario Muscat who stretched to his right to push Jorge's free-kick over the bar.
Hibs were reprieved but not for long. Ciantar's cross from the ensuing corner soared into the goalmouth and Ronallie.
A goal in arrears, Hibs piled up the pressure on their rivals. They came close to an equaliser when Jackson Lima's corner from the left was met by Failla but his header was repelled by Vella.
The Tarxien goalkeeper then beat away Failla's cross-cum-shot from the corner. Vella denied Hibs again with another good save from Dias's effort after the Brazilian had got on the end of Failla's crossfield pass.
Dias then lifted his shot over the bar after being put through by Lima.
Hibs were dominating possession but Tarxien, playing with five at the back, continued to defend well.
Seven minutes from half-time, a mistake by Rodolfo Soares was pounced by Ronallie who powered clear but his shot was deflected away for a corner by Camilleri.
On the stroke of half-time, Hibs produced a flowing move as Edison picked his way through before released Jean Paul Farrugia whose angled shot rolled just wide of the fart post.
Hibs were all over Tarxien as the second half got underway but the Rainbows held firm.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Edison did well to run into the box from the left but his low cross was intercepted by Vella.
On another occasion, Camilleri had a shot blocked by the Tarxien defence after Ryan Sammut had headed way Failla's free-kick.
Cohen stooped to hit an acrobatic volley but his effort was deflected away for a corner. A dangerous cross by Dias hit the base of the post on
65 minutes after Vella had been wrong-footed by Cohen's attempt to head the ball.
In a rare counter-attack, Tarxien almost doubled their lead but Ronallie's shot from inside the box was pushed away by the alert Muscat.
Despite their superior possession, Hibs could not breach Tarxien's defence.
Eight minutes from time, Zoran Levnaic, a second-half substitute, headed just wide from Failla's corner.
The Paolites thought they had equalised when Edison, picked out by Lima, got in a shot that squirmed through Vella's legs but the Tarxien goalkeeper arced backward to stop the ball from crossing the line.
In stoppage time, Farrugia headed the ball into the net from Dias's cross but the 'goal' was annulled for offside.
Vella, the Tarxien goalkeeper, was named BOV player of the match.