HIBERNIANS 1 MOSTA 1
Hibernians stole a draw from the jaws of defeat against Mosta.
Hibernians strode forward from the word ‘go’. The Paolites were dominating possession but they were toiling to breach the Mosta defensive lines as Tyrone Farrugia and Yannick Ossok were vigilant at the back and when they succeeded to go beyond the Blues’ wall with fast exchange of passes between Jorginho and Edison, the leaders found Omar Borg up to task.
In the 20th minute, Borg, the Mosta goalkeeper, was prominent, pulling off a point-blank save to keep out Jorginho’s effort after Bjorn Kristensen swung the ball towards Edison who squared it towards his fellow countryman.
But Babangida’s powerful running on the flanks and the fast, direct movement of his forward colleagues Ian Zammit and Dawood had the slow-moving Hibernians defence in a tangle. Shy the half hour mark, Zammit sliced the opponents’ defence open with a through-pass for Rodriguez Ekani but the Mosta wingback made a hash of controlling the ball.
In the 31st minute, Borg pushed away Tarabai’s angled effort after Cohen’s astute movement.
Mosta stunned their more-quoted opponents four minutes from half-time, when Dawood darted on the right flank before setting up Babangida as the midfielder got the deftest of touches to send the ball past Bonello.
Hibernians could never run into their usual smooth gear. So it was inevitable that the leader relied on set-pieces to apply some pressure on the Mosta goal but they could not rely on Failla’s qualities and it showed after 61 minutes when Tarabai’s freekick went high and wide.
More drama followed when Hibernians were reduced to 10 men as Rudolfo Soares hauled down substitute Matteus, brought on for Babangida, to end his serious venture towards the Hibs box. From the ensuing free-kick, Bonello tipped over the bar Roberts’ effort.
Yet the next time Hibernians got a glimpse of the Mosta goal, they equalised, the goal owed to a defensive mistake by Mosta. Cohen’s looping cross put Borg in an awkward situation, the goalkeeper charging out of goal to snuff out the gathering menace of Edison, collided against Farrugia with the Brazilian striker pouncing on this defensive blunder to volley the ball home.
Numerical parity was restored soon after when Ryan Grech was dismissed after earning his second booking for fouling the goal bound Cohen and the proceedings opened up.
Seven minutes from time, in a devastating counter-attack, the impressive Dawood, charged down the right flank before finding Roberts at the far post but the former Floriana midfielder saw his effort pushed away by the alert Bonello.
On the other side, Jurgen Degabriele, who replace Mbong, wasted a brilliant chance to gain full points two minutes from time. Running on to Jorginho’s pass, hit the ball from with the goal at mercy.