Valletta 2
Marsaxlokk 1
The first title showdown of the season saw leaders Valletta cross swords with champions Marsaxlokk yesterday in the closing match of the first round of the Championship Pool.
A pulsating match that vindicated the two teams' high standing in local football looked to be heading Marsaxlokk's way after Peter Pullicino gave the slick Blues what looked like a deserved lead early in the second half. But, true to their reputation, the erstwhile low-key Citizens drew on their famous fighting spirit to overturn the deficit with two goals in the last 16 minutes.
Valletta would not have come back from the brink had they not been resilient but much of the credit should go to their goalkeeper Andrew Hogg.
He kept his team in the match with a string of saves when Marsaxlokk threatened to run riot. Captain Gilbert Agius also produced the defining moment of the match with a great run and a clever pass for City's equaliser.
After the end of the match, the rapturous City fans sang "We are the champions" and although that sounded premature, they have now gained a clear edge in the title race as Valletta lead Birkirkara and Marsa-xlokk by four and five points respectively with five matches left.
Marsaxlokk will perhaps feel that the result was harsh as they fashioned the better openings but they only have themselves to blame for their defeat as they fluffed a catalogue of clear chances, including an 88th-minute penalty.
With Frank Temile serving suspension, Valletta coach Paul Zammit handed a first-team recall to Dyson Falzon. The sight of Ian Zammit running onto the pitch ought to have enriched the fans' spirits for the young forward had been ranked as doubtful.
Temile was not the only notable absentee yesterday as Marsaxlokk were without the unfit Cleaven Frendo. Positive news for the Blues was the return from suspension of Aleksandar Madzar who took up his usual attacking position alongside Julio Alcorse.
After three minutes, Sebastian Monesterolo lobbed the ball wide after making a perfectly-timed run into the Marsaxlokk box. The Blues responded with a shot by Renato Conceicao which flew over.
The Citizens might have forged ahead on six minutes but for the woodwork as Agius whipped in a venomous drive that rattled the bar with Reuben Debono beaten.
Reprieved, Marsaxlokk mustered a quick riposte. The game was only 10 minutes old when William Camenzuli tested Hogg from a free-kick. The goalkeeper managed to parry the shot but with the Valletta defenders motionless, the ball landed at the feet of Kevin Sammut whose first-time effort brought another fine save from Hogg.
It looked as if this missed opportunity strengthened Marsaxlokk's confidence for they almost broke the ice on 15 minutes. The move started and ended with Madzar as the Montenegro striker's movement on the left unnerved the City defence. The ball was passed to Sammut who instantly returned it to Madzar but the latter's drive was stopped by Hogg.
On the half-hour mark, Valletta were dangerous when Zammit sent a low cross into the box but Monesterolo's shot from an inviting position posed little trouble for Debono.
Ten minutes from half-time, Hogg needed two interventions to tame Madzar's free-kick. At the other end, a Monesterolo drive flashed wide of the near post.
Alcorse's participation was cut short by injury just before the break.
On the cusp of half-time, another strong run by Sammut was stopped by Heiner Backhaus's body check.
Just over three minutes into the second half, Madzar's progression towards the City goal was curtailed by Josef Mifsud's push.
Referee Alan Mario Sant signalled a free-kick and booked the City defender, much to the evident frustration of an agitated Talbot who felt that Mifsud should have been red-carded. From the free-kick, Camenzuli skewed his shot wide.
Valletta's first telling inroad of the second half almost procured a breakthrough as Agius delivered a pin-pointed cross from the left and Monesterolo rose unchallenged but a Camenzuli deflection, possibly with his hand, sent the header over the bar.
Ten minutes from the start of the second period had elapsed when Marsaxlokk opened the score.
Jamie Pace laid the ball to the advancing Conceicao who, capitalising on Valletta's shortcomings on the left, powered his way into the box before squaring to Peter Pullicino who tapped home.
The Citizens almost restored equilibrium immediately after but Steve Bezzina's piledriver from the left hit the post. Stefan Giglio came on for the subdued Falzon a minute past the hour.
Marsaxlokk came close to increasing their lead when Sammut freed Licari who tried to ladle the ball over the on-rushing Hogg but the latter saved his attempt. Seconds later, Madzar was clean through but lifted the ball over with the Valletta defenders all at sea.
Debono, the Marsaxlokk keeper, fumbled a seemingly innocuous shot by Zammit but luckily for him, the ball rolled wide of the far post.
Valletta's urgency to get back on level terms left them exposed at the back and Marsaxlokk should have profited midway through the second half when Trevor Templeman made headway on the right and passed to the unmarked Madzar whose shot was stopped by the alert Hogg.
It was then Valletta's turn to go close to scoring only to be pegged back by more defiant defending from Marsaxlokk. Debono repelled Agius's header from a corner and after a series of shots had been blocked, Backhaus blasted wide from inside the box.
The game continued to ebb and flow but 16 minutes from time Valletta got themselves back on level terms.
Their equaliser was engineered by Agius who stretched the Marsaxlokk defence with a diagonal run from the right, surged past Pace and threaded a gem of a pass to the right where Giglio was on hand to steer the ball home.
Galvanised by their goal, Valletta now poured forward with greater verve.
With eight minutes left, their optimism rose as they were awarded a penalty after Conceicao nudged Bezzina off the ball as the City left-back was chasing a pass from Monesterolo. The latter made no mistake from the spot to send the City fans into raptures.
Their joy was tempered when five minutes later the referee ruled that Bezzina's challenge on Pullicino was illegal and pointed to the spot.
Licari assumed responsibility for the penalty and tried to surprise Hogg by chipping the ball over the keeper.
His effort hit the bar and landed on the stranded Hogg, the ball rolling tantalisingly across the face of goal before the City defence cleared.
Valletta: A. Hogg-8, J. Grioli-6.5, J. Mifsud-7, K. Scicluna-6, S. Bezzina-6, I. Zammit-6 ('86 J. Bondin), D. Camilleri-5.5, H. Backhaus-5.5, D. Falzon-5 ('61 S. Giglio-6.5), G. Agius-7.5, S. Monesterolo-6 ('90 B. Agius).
Marsaxlokk: R. Debono-6, W. Camenzuli-7, R. Conceicao-6.5, C. Mamo-6, P. Pullicino-6, T. Templeman-6.5, C. Magro-6, J. Pace-6, K. Sammut-8, J. Alcorse-6 ('42 M. Licari-5.5), A. Madzar-6.5.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Scorers: Pullicino 55; Giglio 74; Monesterolo 83 pen.
Yellow cards: Grioli; Mifsud; Agius; Licari.
Missed penalty: Licari (M) 88.
BoV Player of the match: Kevin Sammut (Marsaxlokk).
Hibernians 4
Mqabba 2
At this late stage of the season, Hibernians are normally in the midst of the race for the Premier League title or, at the least, for a top-four position.
Their fortunes this season have waned to the point that the Paolites suffered the embarrassment of missing out on a place in the Championship Pool, never mind making a challenge for the league.
Their slide into the Relegation Pool surely hurt Hibs' pride but as if to show that they don't belong there, the Paolites won their opening two matches and yesterday, they made it three in a row to secure their status with three matches to spare.
A 4-2 victory over Mqabba in a quiet match gave Hibs an unassailable lead over second-from-last Pietà Hotspurs. As for Mqabba, relegation is now a foregone conclusion as they are eight points behind Msida with only nine points to play for.
As the FA Trophy now represents Hibs' only hope of silverware, coach Robert Gatt opted to rest a host of key players ahead of the quarter-final showdown with Valletta next weekend.
Goalkeeper Mario Muscat, Jonathan Caruana, Uzeh Edafe, Adrian Pulis, Pablo Doffo and Andrew Cohen figured among the subs. The captain's armband was handed to Ndubisi Chukunyere.
Mqabba coach Bobby Giorev had no selection worries for this match which, judging by the Reds' position at the bottom of the table, is likely to be one of their last four outings in the top flight for the foreseeable future.
Hibs took only 14 minutes to put their noses in front. They were awarded a penalty after Mqabba goalkeeper Kris Calleja was deemed to have upended Adrian Mifsud in the box.
Defender Aaron Xuereb despatched a low shot past Calleja from the spot to give Hibs a 1-0 lead.
Barely three minutes later, Hibs doubled their lead from another penalty after Mqabba's Lee Galea had raised his arms to clear Scerri's attempt at a lob. The infringement was brought to referee Adrian Casha's attention by assistant-referee Paul Apap who was close to the action. From the penalty, Scerri sent Calleja the wrong way.
With Hibs leading 2-0 by the 18th minute, a rout seemed on the cards but Mqabba revived their hopes with a quick goal, Marcelo Pereira hitting the target with a well-struck grounder.
Mqabba threatened to level matters moments later but Mauro Bonnici headed wide from a Dylan Zarb cross.
This flurry of goals was followed by a tepid spell in which scoring opportunities proved hard to come by. Hibs enjoyed the lion's share of possession but Mqabba battled gamely.
Three minutes past the half hour, the Paolites almost restored their two-goal lead when Chukunyere headed the ball past Calleja but Matthew Cocks was on hand to clear danger.
At the other end, Mqabba supplied a reminder of their attacking threat when Bonnici shot just wide of the near post.
If this was meant to be a warning for the Paolites, they failed to heed the signal and eight minutes from half-time Mqabba made it 2-2.
Their second equaliser owed to the sprightly movement of their forward players as John Mintoff ran through before cutting back for Pereira who drifted across the edge of the box before setting up Briffa who fired low past Alex Camilleri.
Hibs' cheap surrender of a two-goal lead triggered distant shouts of "wake up" from their fans but it was Mqabba who almost went ahead late in the first half. Albert Busuttil's free-kick from an angled position flashed past the near post.
The Paolites began the second half in lively fashion. Their endeavours proved too much for Mqabba whose optimism was shattered when conceding two goals in two minutes.
Xuereb scored his second of the game when he guided a glancing header past Calleja from a Clayton Failla corner. Less than two minutes later, Scerri sent a low shot past Calleja after receiving from Mifsud.
As happened in the first half, Hibs eased off after their early scoring blitz but this time, Mqabba could not summon enough energy to make another comeback.
Hibernians: A. Camilleri-4.5, T. Fleri Soler-5 ('86 A. Cohen), A. Xuereb-6, R. Mintoff-5.5, C. Failla-5.5, A. Fish-4 ('46 A. Pulis-5.5), E. Agius-6.5, J. Pearson-5, N. Chukunyere-5, A. Mifsud-6, T. Scerri-6 ('64 J. Xerri-5.5).
Mqabba: K. Calleja-4, M. Bonnici-5.5, A. Busuttil-5 ('90 M.A. Psaila), I.D. Nogueira-4, M. Briffa-5.5, M. Pereira-5.5, D. Zarb-5, M. Cocks-6, C. Gatt Baldacchino-4 ('58 R. Briffa-4), J. Mintoff-5.5, L. Galea-4.5 ('86 M. Onourah).
Referee: Adrian Casha.
Scorers: Xuereb 14 pen., 48; Scerri 18 pen., 50; Pereira 19; Briffa 38.
Yellow cards: R. Mintoff; Cocks.
BoV Player of the match: Edmond Agius (Hibernians).