BALZAN-2, HIBS-3
Hibs overcame the dismissal of two players to edge Balzan 3-2 in an action-packed match that produced no fewer than three red cards.
With this victory, Hibs have extended their perfect start to five matches but they have lost two important players, goalkeeper Mario Muscat and Brazilian forward Marcelo Dias, for their clash with Valletta next weekend.
Balzan are still seeking their first win of the season.
Four goals were scored in an exciting first half that saw Hibs finish with 10 men after goalkeeper Mario Muscat was sent off for a penalty-box foul.
Jackson Lima and Marcelo Dias were wide with long-range efforts Hibs dictated the early pace.
Balzan threatened to take the lead on 16 minutes. Renato Conceicao supplied an intelligent ball to Elton who avoided the challenge of the on-rushing Mario Muscat but his drive finished over the bar.
With Hibs down to 10 men as Rodolfo Soares received medical treatment on the sidelines, Balzan took full advantage as they broke the deadlock.
Running on to a diagonal pass from Forace, Elton lofted the ball over the advancing Muscat before running through to head home.
Hibs had a great chance opportunity to level matters when John Nwoba, who had replaced Jean Paul Farrugia, served Marcelo Dias at the far post but the Brazilian's close-range attempt was kept out by Matthew Camilleri.
The Paolites made it 1-1 nine minutes from half-time. Jackson Lima put in a teasing cross from a right-wing corner and Adrian Pulis dived in to head home.
Hibs were now the better side. Dias and Andrew Cohen combined well to set up Nwoba who unleashed a rising shot that the leaping Camilleri did well to push onto the crossbar.
Balzan launched a counter-attack as Conceicao released Matthew Mendy who hit wide from close range.
Nine minutes from half-time, Hibs went ahead, Cohen tapping the ball into an empty net after connecting with a low cross from Dias.
More drama followed in first-half stoppage time as Balzan were awarded a penalty after Muscat was adjudged to have brought down the advancing Conceicao. The Hibs goalkeeper was dismissed and Elton equalised for Balzan from the spot, a sequence of events that infuriated the Paolites' fans.
Daniel Balzan, Hibs' reserve goalkeeper, replaced Pulis before Elton converted the penalty.
Five minutes into the second half, Hibs regained the lead when Nwoba headed home from Lima's corner.
The Nigerian-born forward should have put the 10-man Hibs 4-2 up when he came one-on-one with Camilleri but the Balzan keeper blocked the Nwoba's lob.
Balzan then missed two great chances to equalise. Conceicao, freed by Christian Caruana in the box, was denied by Balzan and, moments later, Grima mishit from close in after reaching a low pass from Yessous Camilleri who had made a good overlap on the right.
With 19 minutes left, Hibs suffered another blow when Brazilian forward Dias received a second booking for a handsball.
But, less than three minutes later, Balzan also had a player sent off after Malcolm Licari, who had just come on for Grima, was penalised after he appeared to clip Balzan's legs after the Hibs goalkeeper had grabbed the ball.
Cohen nearly increased Hibs' advantage but his chip was touced away by Camilleri. Six minutes from time, Lima's curling shot sailed just wide of the far post after the Brazilian received from Cohen.
Deanov had a golden opportunity to equalise for Balzan when the Bulgarian ran past Zoran Levnaic in the box but his grounder was stopped by Balzan.
The Hibs goalkeeper again came to his team's rescue when, in the dying stages, he parried away Elton's header from Pace's cross.
Cohen was named BOV player of the match.