Gunning for goal... Hibs striker Jorginho shapes up to shoot during his side’s 4-0 victory over Balzan yesterday. Photo: Matthew MirabelliGunning for goal... Hibs striker Jorginho shapes up to shoot during his side’s 4-0 victory over Balzan yesterday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Hibernians 4
Edison 33; Cohen 58; Jorginho 85; Degabriele 87;
Balzan 0

There was a moment late in this game which encapsulated the attributes that have turned Hibs into a ruthless winning machine this season.

Leading 2-0 and with the points wrapped up against a Balzan side rattled by the dismissal of Colombian defender Elkin Serrano, Hibernians conjured up an extraordinary attacking move that lit up the National Stadium five minutes from the end.

Luis Edison ‘Tarabai’ embarked on a surging run through the middle before switching the ball to the overlapping Joseph Mbong, who had just come on for Marcelo Dias. The young wing-back raced clear before returning the ball to Edison who wrong-footed his marker and squared to Jorginho who tapped home.

A stunning goal that not only underlined the attacking prowess of Edison, who had fired his team ahead with his 21st goal of the season, and Jorginho but also the rapid progress made by the Hibs’ youngsters such as Mbong who is now seriously challenging Dias for the right-wing role.

Further evidence of Hibs’ strength-in-depth came two minutes later when Jurgen Degabriele, who had just entered the fray, added a fourth goal to put extra gloss on their victory, their 18th in 19 games, as the Paolites restored their 15-point lead at the summit.

This had been widely viewed as a tricky fixture for Hibernians and Balzan did their best to make life uneasy for the leaders.

To their credit, Balzan always tried to play constructive football and their efforts, especially in the initial stages of the second half, had Hibs on the ropes but Andrew Cohen’s goal and Serrano’s red card ended the game as a contest.

Dias was back in Hibs’ starting XI after recovering from an ankle injury.

The stocky Brazilian took up his usual position on the right wing as Branko Nisevic stuck with 3-4-1-2.

Edison, who is being strongly linked with a loan move to a South Korean club, partnered fellow Brazilian countryman Jorginho with Cohen assigned probing duties behind the front duo.

Balzan were uplifted by the return of Colombian forward Oscar Guerrero who missed the previous two games, both wins, due to suspension.

The first action of note came in the form of a curling free-kick from Clayton Failla which flew over the crossbar.

Hibs were dominant in the early exchanges. They would have taken the lead but for a top-drawer save from Steve Sultana who kept out Rodolfo Soares’s point-blank flick from Failla’s right-wing corner.

It was then Cohen’s turn to unsettle the Balzan defence as the nimble playmaker held off Luke Sciberras inside the box but his effort was high and wide.

Fifteen minutes into the game, Justin Grioli, Balzan’s right-back, tested waters with a long-range screamer that sailed wide of the far post but Hibs continued to produce the better stuff.

There was another scare for the red-shirted players when Jorginho sprinted into the box after exchanging passes with Cohen but the Brazilian’s grounder rolled past the far post.

Balzan coach Oliver Spiteri refused to temper with his attacking principles despite the prospect of facing the free-scoring leaders who have the best attack in the championship. He started with three forwards, Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, Gianmarco Piccioni and Guerrero.

Two of them, Guerrero and Mifsud Triganza, combined on 24 minutes to create an opening but the latter’s shot was deflected away for a corner.

After a difficult start, Balzan began to show themselves more often in Hibs’ half. On one occasion, Mifsud Triganza floated a pass into the box and Guerrero managed to trick his way through but the Hibs defence defused the danger.

The Paolites had to wait until the 29th minute to fashion another chance. Jorginho pounced on a short clearance but his effort was wide.

Moments later, the Brazilian had a glorious chance to give his side the lead as he ran clear to pick Edison’s intelligent pass but Sultana thwarted him with another smart save. The loose ball fell to Edison but his rising shot from outside the box was stopped by the Balzan keeper.

Hibs’ pressure produced an opener on 33 minutes. Cohen’s set-piece cross, after Hibs won a free-kick near the byline, soared into the six-yard box and Edison glanced his header into the top corner.

Edison threatened again with another header from Cohen’s corner but his attempt was cleared away by Samir Arab, who was deputising for the suspended Clive Brincat.

In a rare counter-attack, Steve Bezzina charged into the box after trading passes with Guerrero but the Balzan captain’s cross was overhit. Piccioni then blasted wide from an angle.

On the brink of half-time, Henry Bonello, the Hibs goalkeeper, was alert to the danger as he pushed away Grioli’s defence-splitting cross from a free-kick.

Early in the second half, Cohen’s swerving free-kick grazed the crossbar.

Balzan stirred. They appealed for a penalty when Mifsud Triganza went down under the challenge of Andrei Agius but referee Esther Azzopardi was not impressed.

Edison then guided the ball to Piccioni but the Italian forward’s cross was cut out by Agius.

Driven on by Zarate, Balzan gained ground.

Grioli delivered another teasing cross from the right but Rodolfo Soares intercepted the danger.

Balzan’s optimism was jolted when Hibs doubled their lead 13 minutes into the second half. Sultana looked to have saved Edison’s free-kick but the Balzan goalkeeper dropped the ball and the fast-moving Cohen fired home.

Spiteri made a double substitution, Lydon Micallef and Terence Agius replacing Mifsud Triganza and Sciberras respectively, but Balzan’s afternoon took another negative twist when Serrano was dismissed after earning his second booking for tripping Jorginho.

The Brazilian squandered a great chance to put Hibs out of sight on 73 minutes. Jorginho outmuscled Bezzina, now playing at centre-half, after Edison had lofted the ball towards his strike partner but the former Qormi hitman rifled wide.

Jorginho redeemed himself when scoring Hibs’ third and Degabriele, who had just replaced Cohen, got the fourth with a close-range tap-in from Failla’s cross.

Jackson Lima, another second-half substitute, rattled the crossbar with a ferocious drive.

Bonello denied Balzan a late consolation goal when stopping Piccioni’s grounder.

Hibernians
H. Bonello-6.5, J. Pearson-6, R. Soares-6.5, M. Dias-5 (79 J. Mbong), A. Cohen-7.5 (86 J. Degabriele), B. Kristensen-5.5 (70 J. Lima-6), C. Failla-6, J. Bezzina-6, A. Agius-7, L. Edison-7, Jorginho-6.5.

Balzan
S. Sultana-5.5, J. Grioli-6.5, S. Bezzina-6, E.O. Serrano, E. Bilbao Zarate-7, I. Guobadia-6, S. Arab-6, O. Guerrero-6, J.P. Mifsud Triganza-6 (64 L. Micallef-5.5), L. Sciberras-5 (64 T. Agius-6), G. Piccioni-5.5.

Referee: Esther Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Serrano; Zarate; Dias; Sciberras; Grioli.

Red card: Serrano (B) 64.

BOV player of the match: Andrew Cohen (Hibernians).

Standings

  P W D L F A Pts
Hibernians 19 18 1 0 62 10 55
Valletta 19 13 1 5 46 14 40
Birkirkara 19 13 1 5 38 19 40
Balzan 19 7 7 5 27 27 28
Floriana 19 6 6 7 32 37 24
Mosta 19 7 3 9 21 37 24
Sliema W.  19 6 5 8 20 24 23
Naxxar L. 19 4 6 9 21 30 18
Qormi 19 4 5 10 19 33 17
Tarxien R. 19 3 8 8 18 32 17
Pietà H. 19 4 5 10 15 32 17
Żebbuġ R.  19 2 6 11 22 46 12

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