BALZAN    2

Effiong 26

Majdevac 72

HIBERNIANS       2

Taylon 45 pen., 76

Hibernians and Balzan gave life to a pulsating encounter as they shared four goals at the National Stadium.

It was Hibs who made all the early running and after seven minutes Balzan goalkeeper Steve Sultana fluffed his clearance but Joseph Mbong could only see his shot cleared off the line by Elkin Serrano Valero.

A minute later, Jurgen Degabriele picked Andrei Agius who flicked the ball wide.

Sultana came to Balzan’s resuce on 13 minutes when show great reflexes to keep out Tiago Fonseca’s close-range shot.

Balzan came close on 23 minutes when Majdevac stole the ball in midfield and played in Alex Alves whose diagonal shot finished just wide.

That was a temporary reprieve for Hibs as Balzan scored two minutes later. From a Kadu free-kick, Serrano Valero saw his shot somehow kept out by Hogg and Alfred Effiong buried home the rebound.

Alves almost doubled Balzan’s lead on 40 minutes but his thumping drive came off the drive.

However, it was Hibs who equalized in stoppage time when Serrano Valero floored Taylon inside the area and the Brazilian made no mistake from the spot.  

On the restart, Sanderra withdrew Kristensen and roped in Johann Bezzina.

The match remained evenly balanced with Balzan coming close on 58 minutes but Majdevac’s shot was pushed away by Hogg.

Six minutes later Tiago Fonseca’s cross-shot kissed the bar before Sultana got hold of the ball

Twenty minutes from time, the Balzan defence failed to deal with Degabriele’s cross but Taylon fired over from a good position.

The Paolites were punished for that miss as two minutes later Bozovic picked Majdevac inside the area and the Serbian striker rifled the ball into net.

But Hibs’ response was immediate as Fonseca hit a fine pass towards Taylon who beat the offside trap and stabbed the ball past the onrushing Sultana.

Nine minutes from time, Cipriott avoided his marker on the right and his low drive whizzed past the upright.

In stoppage time, Hibs should have won it when referee Stefan Pace awarded a penalty as he deemed that Serrano Valero touched with his arm Mbong’s shot.

The Colombian was shown a second yellow card and was dismissed.

But from the spot, Taylon fired wide to the delight of the Balzan clan who held on to a merited point.

Hibs striker Taylon was voted as the BOV Player of the match.