Andrei Agius (white shirt) heads the ball ahead of Birkirkara’s Liliu. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Winning is all that matters for Hibernians FC at the moment and on Saturday the team from Paola further underlined their intentions of maintaining a firm grip on top position in the BOV Premier League standings with a totally-committed display in a 1-0 victory over nearest rivals Birkirkara.

An early goal from prolific scorer Luis Edison put Hibs in command against a Birkirkara side desperate to hand the Paolites their first league defeat of the season and bridge the gap with the league pacesetters.

However, Hibernians showed a completely new face about them last weekend as after that early Edison breakthrough they were happy to sit back and contain their opponents’ threat for the rest of the game.

Coach Branko Nisevic must have been proud of his team, particularly in defence, as Hibs wiped out Birkirkara’s attack. In fact, the Stripes rarely threatened Henry Bonello’s goal.

In the end, the 1-0 verdict for Hibs lifted them seven points clear of second-placed Birkirkara.

Andrei Agius, one of the best performers for the Paolites on Saturday, said he was unperturbed by his team’s cautious approach in the big match as the three points were their main objective.

“Since the start of the season our only goal was to try and win as many league matches as possible,” Agius told Times of Malta yesterday.

“People might argue that we lacked the attacking spark we had in other matches this season but one also has to take into consideration the quality of our opponents.

“Luis Edison’s goal conditioned the match as Birkirkara immediately stepped up their game in search of an equaliser.

“Really, we were confident defending that one-goal lead but we still tried to catch them with quick breaks so it was not one-way traffic all the time.

“I think we defended strongly.

“In fact, despite long spells of possession, Birkirkara were rarely dangerous and in the end we could have also added a second goal.”

After having played so brilliantly against Valletta, we failed to keep the momentum going

Agius’s arrival at Hibernians in summer added more solidity to the team’s defensive line and it’s no surprise that the Paolites boast the best defence of the division at the moment, conceding six goals from nine matches.

“To be honest, I was surprised at how easy it was for me to adapt,” Agius said.

“I am really enjoying myself at Hibs. The way the coach runs the team and training fits perfectly with my characteristics... so, really, I can’t ask for more.

“This is a very strong squad and I want to make the most of my time at Hibs.

“Winning the league remains our big target so I’m hoping we’ll stay on the right track.”

Next up for Hibernians is a clash against Mosta on Sunday.

On paper, the Paolites start favourites against a Mosta team coming from four successive defeats. Agius is not trusting Enrico Piccioni’s men, however.

“Mosta haven’t done well lately but I’m still expecting a difficult match as they can be very dangerous on their day,” Agius said.

“They are passing through a difficult time but I’m sure Mosta will do anything they can to turn the tide and get back to winning ways.

“So we have to adopt our usual approach and stay grounded.”

While Hibernians left Corradino in high spirits the same cannot be said of Birkirkara who slumped to a third defeat this season.

The upset to Hibernians was a bitter pill to swallow for the Stripes as it came just one week after their excellent 2-0 victory over champions Valletta.

“We are clearly disappointed with our match against Hibs,” Paul Fenech, the Birkirkara captain, said.

“After having played so brilliantly against Valletta we failed to keep the momentum going. Hibs’ early goal shattered our plans as they closed all gaps to their goal and made it very difficult for us to find openings and create scoring opportunities.

“We had the ball at our feet more than them and although we also had several offensive players in the team we could not break them down. That, perhaps, will make us realise that Birkirkara need to improve the attacking game as it’s not the first time this season we struggled to score goals.”

Fenech is now expecting a strong response from his team-mates starting with their upcoming match against Sliema Wanderers on Monday.

“We need to put this match behind us and look forward to our next match,” Fenech said.

“Unfortunately, this season we are lacking consistency and that is hurting our progress and title aspirations.

“This week we have to work our socks off on the training pitch as we cannot drop any points and give Hibs more wind in their sails.

“There is still a long way to go and our next match is a perfect opportunity to get back on track, hopefully also marking the start of a consistent run of results.”