Brave Greens Frustrate Hibs

Hibernians 1
Floriana 1

All the talk in recent days has been on the wet weather and its adverse effect on sporting events, especially football. Premier League high-fliers Hibernians will probably have felt that the elements had also hindered their bid to take sole leadership in the standings for the first time this season.

With their second round match against Floriana having been switched from the Hibs Ground to the much-derided Centenary Stadium after being postponed last Sunday, the Paolites failed in their bid to leapfrog Sliema Wanderers at the top after they were held to a draw by a resurgent Floriana side last night.

Although Hibs are entitled to regret the change in venue, especially in view of the notion that the compactness and hard pitch of the Centenary Stadium tends to favour the smaller sides, Robert Gatt's team did not deserve to get more than a point against opponents who gave as much as they got in a balanced match.

The draw means that Hibernians have now joined Sliema on 28 points with both teams having played 12 games. As for Floriana, their fourth consecutive match without a defeat moves them to within a point from third-from-bottom Pietà.

Floriana's chances of extending their positive run looked to have suffered a blow when, barely 13 minutes into the game, their skilful midfielder Christian Cassar had to be stretchered off the pitch after sustaining a knee injury. His place in the team was taken by Christian Caruana.

Scoring opportunities were conspicuous by their absence in the opening 15 minutes. Then, Andrew Cohen brought a fine save from Floriana goalkeeper Simon Agius who turned the swerving free-kick from the Hibs' stalwart around his near post.

Not to be outdone, Mario Muscat, the Hibs netminder, was prominent when tipping away a floating free-kick from Ian Azzopardi, Floriana's skipper of the day. The Malta defender produced another menacing free-kick, this time from right to left, but Muscat was again on the right spot to push the ball away.

Hibs' cause to turn up the pressure on Sliema and Birkirkara by seizing the initiative in the title race was slightly hampered by the absence of the injured Haruna Doda and defender Aaron Xuereb who received a one-match after Hibs' nervy 2-1 defeat of Pietà.

Floriana coach Jan Artz also elected to make a few alterations from the team that dismissed derby rivals Valletta in their last outing.

Nigerian striker Anthony Eviparker, scorer of Floriana's winner against the Citizens, was dropped from the first team in favour of Adrian Mifsud. Kurt Formosa was also drafted back into the initial line-up as a replacement for the suspended Riad-Mynel Gango-Rtsa.

Essien Mbong, the enforcer in Hibs' midfield, might have broken the ice on the half hour. Steadying himself to connect with a Cohen service, Mbong turned adroitly but his rising effort was palmed away by Agius.

At the other end, Floriana were dangerous once more from a deadball situation but Ian Ciantar's twisting stroke, hit with the outside of his right boot, was diverted away by Kenneth Spiteri.

Despite enjoying territorial supremacy, Hibs rarely looked threatening against a tightly-knit Floriana side who combined graft with sprightly movement by their attacking personnel.

The game remained largely mediocre after the change of ends but Hibs' optimism of taking the three points increased on 62 minutes. Referee Adrian Casha signalled a penalty for the Paolites after Manolito Micallef was adjudged to have bundled Cohen over as the latter tried to win possession inside the Floriana box.

Cohen tucked the ball home from the spot with typical nonchalance.

Hibs' rowdy fans were overjoyed but not for long. It took the Greens four minutes to draw level, player-of-the-match Micallef wrong-footing Muscat with a free-kick from a wide position on the left.

Their confidence lifted by Micallef's equaliser, Floriana persisted with their attacking endeavours. Nineteen minutes from the end, Nicolò Baldacchino flicked the ball on to Mifsud just outside the penalty area but the first-time volley from the former Hibs and Sliema striker was turned away for a corner by Muscat.

Gatt's 3-4-3 tactical approach is designed at encouraging his team to play attacking football but their efforts yesterday were predominantly disjointed.

In injury time, Floriana defender Keith Fabri frustrated Hibs with a headed clearance from a Scerri attempt.

Hibernians: M. Muscat-6.5, P. Pullicino-6, K. Spiteri-6, A. Pulis-6.5, E. Mbong-6.5, T. Scerri-5, A. Cohen-6, C. Failla-6, B. Camilleri-6.5, E. Agius-6, D. Camilleri-6.

Floriana: S. Agius-7, I. Ciantar-7, K. Fabri-6.5, I. Azzopardi-7.5, J. Briffa-5 ('40 M. Caruana-6), K. Formosa-6, C. Cassar ('13 C. Caruana-6), M. Micallef-7.5 ('90 M. Gauci), A. Mifsud-6, N. Baldacchino-6, T. Cilia-6.

Referee: Adrian Casha.

Scorers: Cohen 62 Pen.; Micallef 66.

Yellow Cards: Azzopardi; Fabri; Failla; Baldacchino.

BoV Player Of The Match: Manolito Micallef (Floriana).