Sliema Wanderers 0
Hibernians 1
Scerri 10
Hibs made sure of extending their tenure as leaders of the Premier League by another week after they eked out a 1-0 victory over Sliema Wanderers.
Starting the day with a two-point lead over Valletta, who take on Tarxien this afternoon, Hibs were aware that only a victory would keep them on top after the weekend programme.
An early goal by Terrence Scerri proved decisive as Hibs created the better chances in the first half but then forfeited the initiative to the Blues who will consider themselves unlucky not to have salvaged a point.
Although Sliema lost the chance to narrow the gap on the pacesetters, their tenacious second-half performance bodes well for the future.
Roderick Briffa's switch to Valletta forced Sliema coach Stephen Azzopardi into one change from his side's 2-1 victory over Marsaxlokk.
Back in the fray after serving a ban, Roderick Bajada was asked to step into Briffa's boots as Azzopardi kept faith with a 4-4-2 formation.
Hibs coach Mark Miller was buoyed by the return from suspension of Scerri and Christian Callejas but anchorman Rumen Galabov was ruled out by a one-match ban.
Callejas was instructed to take up Galabov's sweeping duties as Miller again settled for a flexible 4-1-4-1 tactical configuration with Scerri at the apex of Hibs' attacking diamond.
In the opening stages, Jonathan Caruana, the Hibs defender, made a fine sliding block to stop Ivan Woods' shot after the latter had been set up by Victor Ortega Coto.
Coto will have been relieved that Marsaxlokk's complaint on his registration had been thrown out by the Protests' Board on Friday.
Woods then mustered a shot from outside the box which Mario Muscat saved but could not hold. The rebound broke to Alex Muscat whose attempt was repelled by Adrian Pulis.
Sliema started better but it was Hibs who drew first blood. The game was almost ten minutes old when Callejas supplied an inviting cross from a free-kick and Scerri, profiting from loose marking in the box and Henry Bonello's hesitancy, rose above friend and foe to glance the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Azzopardi, the Sliema coach, had to make his first substitution after just 21 minutes as Muscat's participation was cut short by injury. His place was taken by Mark Scerri.
Midway through the first half, Muscat did well to palm away a menacing corner by Daniel Saverino. At the other end, Sliema put themselves in an awkward situation when Scerri intercepted a mishit pass but his shot hit Jeffrey Chetcuti and bounced off target.
Hibs continued to prod at the evident chinks in Sliema's defensive armour. Receiving a pass from Edward Herrera, Jean Paul Farrugia, lurking in the inside-right channel, produced a diagonal shot which Bonello saved in two attempts.
The erstwhile unconvincing Bonello came to Sliema's rescue when diving to his left to push aside Andrew Cohen's volley from the edge of the box.
Sliema ripped into Hibs at the start of the second half. Muscat pulled off a fine save to keep out Saverino's fiercely-hit shot from a free-kick.
Saverino, much more effective in the second half than he had been in the first, then elected to deliver a low cross from another long-range free-kick, the ball flying across the face of goal but just eluding Scerri's sliding attempt to apply the final touch.
The Paolites had been forced on the backfoot for most of the opening 15 minutes of the second half but they almost doubled their advantage when Scerri produced a rising shot but Bonello saved.
With 16 minutes left, Hibs came close to a second goal when Clayton Failla's perseverance saw him win the ball twice before he pulled it back for Leighton Grech, who had just come on for Farrugia. Grech looked a solid bet to score as he had time and space to pick his spot but his shot grazed the far post.
Hibs' attacking threat grew as the second half wore on. They almost wrapped it up when Failla's cross was met with a first-time flick by the dashing Scerri who looked on incredulously as the ball came off the foot of the post.
Three minutes from time, Sliema were unlucky not to level matters when Scerri's grounder whizzed past Muscat but cannoned off the post. The loose ball fell to Woods who was dispossessed by the quick-thinking Caruana when in the act of shooting.
Sliema Wanderers
H. Bonello-6, A. Muscat ('21 M. Scerri-7), I. Azzopardi-6, M. Bartolo-5 ('74 J. Mintoff), J. Chetcuti-6, I. Woods-6.5, L. Dronca-6, D. Saverino-6.5 ('86 N. Turner), I. Ciantar-6, V. Ortega Coto-6, R. Bajada-6.
Hibernians
M. Muscat-7, J. Caruana-7.5, E. Herrera-7, A. Pulis-6, A. Xuereb-6.5, C. Failla-6, C. Callejas-6, T. Scerri-7, A. Cohen-6 ('90 B. Camilleri), A.T. Mbongo-6, J.P. Farrugia-5.5 ('67 L. Grech-5.5).
Referee: Clayton Pisani.
Yellow cards: Bartolo; Chetcuti; Mbongo; Herrera; Farrugia; Azzopardi; Scerri.
BoV player of the match: Terrence Scerri (Hibernians).