ST ANDREWS 2

Miranda Gomez 51, Atkinson 90

HIBERNIANS 1

Failla 43

Substitute Kevaughn Atkinson came off the bench to claim a clinical injury-time strike to earn St Andrews a shocking victory over champions Hibernians.

A tame opening had Joseph Mbong hitting wide from inside the box and then missing a cross from Marcelo Dias. In between Tano Azian was denied by a timely tackle by Rui da Gracia Gomes.

It was shortly before half-time when the ball was played wide to Marco Sahanek, whose measured cross from the right had Clayton Failla connecting to it with a spotlessly clean header into the net.

The game became more balanced after the break with the Saints’ front-running becoming increasingly more menacing.

On 51 minutes, Kemar Reid’s pass to Misael Miranda Gomez had a gaping Paolites’ defence starting as the St. Andrews fleet-footed forward rammed past Hogg.

In the closing stages, Bezzina was dismissed for making disparaging remarks about a ballboy who was preventing him from retrieving the ball.

But Saints weren’t yet done. Entering the last minute of the added time, Pena Beltre’s ball across found substitute Atkinson taking a touch before lashing a 25-metre screamer into the top corner.

BOV player of the match: Marcelo Dias (Hibernians).