Floriana 0
Hibernians 0
Floriana’s Premier League title challenge may have just run aground and they have also done arch-rivals Valletta a small favour by slowing down second-placed Hibernians after their meeting ended goalless, yesterday.
The draw means that Valletta, 2-0 winners over Balzan Youths on Friday, are now six points clear of Hibs at the top.
Yet, Floriana coach Michael Woods was still smiling as he made his way to the dressing room. Perhaps, the most troubling thing for Floriana after yesterday’s match against Hibs was just how well they played.
They dominated for long spells, held sway in midfield throughout and also created a handful of open chances but came away with just one point when, on other occasions, they would have garnered full points with just a few shots on goal.
Floriana had followed their coach’s instructions with discipline, concentration and diligence and debutant Patrick Jansen, standing in for the suspended Manuel Bartolo, looked solid and assured in goal.
This result puts extra pressure on both teams as they now know that their best hope of silverware this season rests on the FA Trophy.
Yet, this match could have been considered as a dress rehearsal for their FA Trophy quarter-final clash next weekend, a chance for both coaches to test their direct opponents.
The changes made yesterday reflected coach Woods’s willingness to end his side’s negative run of late.
Andrè Grabowski and Malcolm Licari, who has been suffering from influenza, made way for Alandson and Christian Caruana. Newly-signed Dutch goalkeeper Jansen was given his debut, replacing the suspended Bartolo.
The Greens retained their 4-4-2 module but flitted between man-marking and zonal marking with Pablo Doffo and Joseph Borg shadowing Andrew Cohen and Steve Pisani respectively.
Hibs coach Mark Miller opted for a five-man midfield with the returning Clayton Failla replacing the suspended Bjorn Kristensen.
In a dull first half, Floriana thwarted Hibs’ approach play with strong tackling and tactical discipline. In the Paolites’ 4-1-4-1 system, the frontrunner, Luis Edison was getting isolated with passes being swallowed by the powerful centre-backs, Owen Bugeja and Eric Akoto.
On the half-hour mark, Bugeja saved the Greens from a potentially damaging situation as he effected a perfectly-timed tackle to nudge the ball away from the goalbound Edison.
The defender suffered a gash in his head and came back on with a bandage.
Hibs’ Edward Herrera found space to get forward when Manolito Micallef vacated his right-side berth to temporarily replace Bugeja in the middle but Edison failed to connect properly with the delivery.
Jansen was impressing as he confidently dealt with corners and crosses in the box. In the 38th minute, Cohen drove a low shot but the keeper managed to get a touch to the ball.
In next to no time, Jansen launched a long kick forward. Ivan Woods got the flick-on and wriggled free of Jonathan Pearson but goalkeeper Mario Muscat rushed out to save the Floriana forward’s effort.
Just before half-time, Borg picked up the ball near the halfway line and hit a spectacular long-range pass for Alandson.
The Brazilian escaped from his marker and lofted the ball over Muscat but the ball bounced off the crossbar and finished on the top of the net.
There was not much in the way of scoring opportunities in the early stages of the second half but the game came to life on the hour. Caruana’s surging run unnerved Hibs but the nippy striker shot straight at Muscat.
A minute later, Edison relied on his pace to beat Micallef to a long ball which the Brazilian controlled on his chest before dispatching a right-foot volley just high to Jansen’s left.
A few moments later, Caruana gave away possession cheaply in front of the Floriana rearguard but an exquisite interchange between Edison and Cohen ended with the former losing his balance in front of Jansen and the chance went missing.
In the 71st minute, Miller made a double substitution for Hibs, bringing on Marcelo Dias and Bezzina for Herrera and Jason Lee Vandelannoite.
On his part, Woods first replaced Mintoff with Christian Cassar – back in the squad after the club reduced his original 28-day ban – and later introduced Ryan Darmanin and Grabowski in a bid to strengthen his forward line.
The Greens’ substitutes brought renewed urgency to their game as the minutes ticked away.
Micallef had an opportunity to open the score 12 minutes from time when good work from Doffo, who worked his socks off in midfield, allowed the defender-cum-winger to send a low shot which Muscat did well to push away.
At the death, Grabowski might have applied the coup de grace but failed to score from an inviting position.
Off a cross from the right, Woods hit a pass that was deflected into the path of the unmarked Grabowski whose low effort evaded the on-rushing Muscat only to roll inches wide of the far post.
Floriana
P. Jansen-7, O. Bugeja-8, D. Pisani-5.5, P. Doffo-7.5, C. Caruana-5.5 (76 R. Darmanin), I. Woods-7, M. Micallef-6, J. Mintoff-5.5 (60 C. Cassar-5), J. Borg-6.5, E. Akoto-6, Alandson-6.5 (80 A. Grabowski).
Hibernians
M. Muscat-7, E. Herrera-6 (71 J. Bezzina), J. Pearson-6, A. Xuereb-6, R. Soares-6, A. Cohen-7.5, C. Failla-6.5, S. Pisani-6, J. Lima-5.5, J. Vandelannoite-6.5 (71 M. Dias), L. Edison-6.
Referee: Esther Azzopardi.
Yellow cards: Mintoff; Herrera; Failla; Pisani; Borg; Edison; Lima.
BOV player of the match: Patrick Jansen (Floriana).
Attendance: 1,097.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Valletta | 21 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 16 | 54 |
| Hibernians | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 49 | 15 | 48 |
| Floriana | 21 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 33 | 18 | 41 |
| Birkirkara | 21 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 31 | 28 | 32 |
| Sliema | 20 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 23 | 29 |
| Balzan | 21 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 27 | 34 | 28 |
| Qormi | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 26 |
| Mosta | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 23 |
| Mqabba | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 37 | 20 |
| Tarxien | 21 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 43 | 18 |
| Ħamrun | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 47 | 16 |
| Marsaxlokk | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 22 | 45 | 11 |