Hibernians 4
Vandelannoite 3og; Failla 25 pen; Farrugia 30; Lima 80;
Valletta 2
Barbosa 40 pen; Tourè 90 pen;
It’s game over for the champions.
Valletta’s defence of the Premier league title looks doomed after they lost to the excellent Hibs who have finally broken their duck against the Citizens this season after two defeats.
Like a runner lapped before the bell, Valletta will soldier on but it is clear that their grip on a third consecutive title has been loosened finger by finger in the last few weeks.
It was Valletta’s third consecutive defeat and the players were subjected to sustained and embittered abuse by their fans throughout the final stages of the match.
Denni was booed when he was substituted by Abubakar Bello Osagie and there was more jeering aimed at striker Michael Mifsud at the end. Assistant coach Gilbert Agius tried to calm the supporters as they waited for the players outside the stadium but the shouting highlighted their dismay at their team’s lame showing.
The Paolites made the first half an ordeal for Valletta with Belgian defender Jason Lee Vandelannoite so disoriented at the back that ironically he was spared further misery after being dismissed on 25 minutes.
There were several tormentors for Valletta with Brazilian Luis Edison ‘Tarabai’ sparking the rout after helping Hibs establish an early two-goal lead.
In broader terms, it was Clayton Failla, Zoran Levnaic, Marcelo Dias and Andrew Cohen who, from midfield, instigated Valletta’s heaviest defeat this season.
Mark Miller’s decision to include Edmond Agius to fill the void left by Luke Dimech, out with suspension, necessitated some positional switches.
Vandelannoite dropped to centre-half alongside Jonathan Car-uana. Up front, Senegalese forward Demba Tourè was preferred to Gabriel to partner Mifsud.
The Paolites had come into this match in a positive frame of mind after their 3-1 win over Mosta. They were further bolstered by the return of Jonathan Pearson, Levnaic, Dias and Jackson Lima, who missed the Mosta win.
Pearson, Levnaic and Dias were drafted into the starting formation whereas Jackson Lima had to settle for a place on the bench.
Wary of Valletta’s strength, Michael Woods opted to crowd the midfield with Bjorn Kristensen performing screening duties in front of defence with Levnaic, Dias and Cohen in front of him. Luis Edison was given roaming duties behind chief forward Jean Paul Farrugia in a 4-1-3-2 formation.
Hibs stunned the champions when taking the lead inside the opening five minutes. Luis Edison was the catalyst as his powerful incursion down the right unnerved Valletta, in particular Vande-lannoite.
Cohen’s inch-perfect free-kick was aimed for Edison who put pressure on the Belgian defender who deflected the ball past Manuel Bartolo at the near post.
Hibs’ brisk opening left no-one in doubt as to the massive challenge facing Valletta to avert their third defeat on the trot. Yet, Valletta’s effort failed to bother Hibs as their rearguard mounted a barricade in front of goalkeeper Mario Muscat who was not really tested in the opening half-hour.
And Valletta’s hopes of hitting back suffered a blow on 25 minutes when Vandelannoite lost con-centration and allowed Edison to steal in behind him. The defender’s only reaction was to haul the Brazilian down, resulting in an inevitable red card.
Vandelannoite’s offence was clearly committed outside the box but referee Malcolm Spiteri ruled it had been inside and awarded Hibs a penalty. From the ensuing spot-kick, Clayton Failla sent Bartolo the wrong way.
Despite their double advantage, Hibernians retained their poise.
Dias, who had been quieter than his attacking colleagues, came to life after 30 minutes. The Brazilian advanced unimpeded on the right but his shot was repelled by the keeper into the direction of Farrugia who blasted home from close in.
With Valletta now chasing a lost cause and leaving space at the back, Farrugia fired over from few metres out after being set free by Edison.
The Whites refused to give up, even in the face of impossible odds. William Barbosa gave his team a lifeline when converting a penalty five minutes from half-time after Failla felled Mifsud in the area.
At half-time, Miller brought on Dyson Falzon for Agius with Azzopardi moving alongside Caruana in central defence.
For their part, the Paolites had been so much in control that it might have been complacency that allowed the 10-man Valletta to drag themselves back into the match in the second half.
Valletta enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but they lacked flair and punch in the final third and never troubled the Hibs rearguard.
Woods sought to confound Valletta by making a minor adjustment to his team, bringing on Lima for Dias with the Brazilian and Farrugia pushing forward to support Tarabai.
Miller responded with a double substitution, Bello Osagie and Gabriel replacing Barbosa and Denni respectively.
These changes clearly had an uplifting effect on Valletta as Roderick Briffa quickly delivered a cross towards the unmarked Bello Osagie who headed over from close in after 77 minutes.
But three minutes later, Lima illuminated the proceedings with a strong thunderbolt from the distance that gave Bartolo no chance.
The Valletta fans voiced their disappointment at their team’s tepid display and the referee stopped play after a fan from the Millennium Stand threw a flare onto the pitch, which was removed by goalkeeper Mario Muscat.
At the death, the Hibernians defence was caught out as Bello Osagie charged into the box. Muscat strode out of goal and his challenge on Bello Osagie sent the latter tumbling to the ground.
The referee pointed to the spot and showed Muscat the red card.
Daniel Balzan replaced Farrugia but the young goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Tourè’s shot from the spot.
Sciriha’s future
Meanwhile, Valletta’s defeat to Hibs yesterday could prove the final straw for club president Victor Sciriha who is expected to offer his resignation tomorrow.
Sciriha, who had skipped several Valletta matches to show his disappointment at the team’s poor run late last year, didn’t attend yesterday’s game after the Citizens lost 2-0 to Birkirkara.
Hibernians
M. Muscat, R. Camilleri-6.5, J. Pearson-7, R. Soares-6.5, M. Dias-6 (62 Jackson Lima-6), A. Cohen-6, B. Kristensen-7, C. Failla-8, Z. Levnaic-6.5, L. Edison-7 (82 A. Azzopardi), J.P. Farrugia-6.5 (89 D. Balzan).
Valletta
M. Bartolo-5, R. Briffa-5, J. Caruana-5, J. Vandelannoite, I. Azzopardi-4, E. Agius-4 (46 D. Falzon-4), W. Barbosa-5.5 (72 A. Bello Osagie), Denni-4 (72 Gabriel), D. Tourè-5, R. Fenech-5, M. Mifsud-5.5.
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Yellow cards: Kristensen; Camilleri; Farrugia; Fenech; Tourè; Briffa; Caruana.
Red cards: Vandelannoite (V) 25; Muscat (H) 89.
BOV player of the match: Luis Edison (Hibernians).
Attendance: 1,633.