Hibernians not down and out yet says Muscat

Hibernians face the prospect of an early exit from the Champions League tonight unless they beat Irish side Shelbourne in Dublin.

A 2-2 draw in the first leg at Ta' Qali last Wednesday has dented Hibs' chances of making the second qualifying round of Europe's premier football competition but the Maltese champions are still hopeful of earning a money-spinning second round tie against Portuguese side Boavista.

The positive thinking within the Hibs' clan in Ireland was summed up by their international goalkeeper Mario Muscat.

"We are not down and out yet. The 2-2 draw at home has made it more difficult for us to progress but I believe in our abilities of grinding out a good result here in Dublin," Muscat told The Times from the team's hotel just outside the capital city of Ireland.

"The positive thing emerging from the first leg tie is that it has enhanced our knowledge of Shelbourne. We now know their strengths and weaknesses and our belief, based on the evidence of last Wednesday's clash at Ta' Qali, is that we can obtain a good result here," Muscat added.

The Paolites, led by coach Robert Gatt, recently voted best coach in the Malta Football Awards, landed in Dublin on Monday. Yesterday evening, Hibs trained at Shelbourne's Tolka Park.

Absent from the Hibs' squad, that also includes Nigerian 17-year-old player Udo Nwoko, is Miguel Mifsud.

Mifsud, who came on as a second-half substitute for Roderick Baldacchino in the first leg, opted to stay in Malta for personal reasons.

Otherwise, Gatt was able to take a full-strength squad to Ireland. The former Malta U-21 coach is unlikely to make many changes to the side that started last Wednesday's match but Shelbourne's incisiveness on the flanks will not have gone unnoticed by Gatt. The Hibernians' mentor could opt for the more-defensive Aaron Xuereb at right-back.

Silvio Vella, the ex-Malta libero, will again skipper the side. The 35-year-old has decided to hang up his boots to move into coaching after Hibs' Euro matches. It remains to be seen whether Vella, who is still troubled by back pain, will postpone his retirement if his club reach the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

Branko Nisevic and the towering Adrian Pulis, scorer of Hibs' second goal in Wednesday's 2-2 draw, are expected to be confirmed at centre-half with Roderick Baldacchino patrolling the left flank.

Nigerian schemer Essien Mbong and the elegant Adrian Ciantar will pull the strings in Hibs' midfield, supported by Peter Pullicino.

Up front, Gatt will again field the Ndubisi Chukunyere-Adrian Mifsud tandem... a mixture of flair, speed and clinical finishing.

Chukunyere's dazzling skills were in abundant evidence last week as his bursting runs and polished footwork ran the Shelbourne defence ragged.

On the back of his classy performance at Ta' Qali, Chukunyere is likely to be singled out for special attention by the Irish defenders.

Muscat said that Hibernians must use their energy more efficiently in the first half of today's game to avoid another physical decline in the second half, widely considered as the main reason for their failure to defeat Shelbourne in the first leg.

With 40 international caps under his belt, Muscat is one of the most experienced players in the Hibs squad alongside veteran Vella.

These players will certainly feel extra responsibility ahead of important games, stemming from their wealth of experience on the international stage, but Muscat believes that the Hibs team, despite its young average age, has matured a lot over the last few years.

"Silvio and I have been trying to help our team-mates to approach the game in the right frame of mind.

"We have played in several stadiums across Europe and in front of big crowds, so we know what kind of atmosphere there will be at Tolka Park. However, I also feel that our team has come a long way in a short time and the experience of challenging and winning the Premier League last season has taught the players how to handle the pressure," Muscat said.

Shelbourne... cautiously optimistic

Shelbourne are cautiously optimistic that the 2-2 draw earned from the away leg has given them the platform to qualify for the next round. However, player-manager Pat Fenlon has made it clear that his team will not sit back today.

A goalless or 1-1 draw would see Shelbourne through but Fenlon wants his side to increase the pressure on Hibs with an early goal.

The Shelbourne player-manager also admitted his immense respect for Hibs, who, he said, have some very good technical players and told reporters in Dublin that he expects strikers Chukunyere and Mifsud to pose a big threat to his side.

Fenlon is also confident that his team can make a better start to the game than they did in Malta when his men looked jittery in defence. He is hoping that the cool weather in Ireland will help his team's cause.

For Shelbourne, central defender Kevin Doherty is out of the equation after injuring his ribs at Ta' Qali.

His void will be filled by Darren Prenderville, formerly of Oldham and Coventry City, who also deputised for Doherty in the second half of the first leg tie.

Midfielders David Byrne and Jim Crawford are still sidelined with injuries. Byrne hurt his hamstring during training in Malta and is out for several weeks.

Crawford has just recovered from a long injury and played for 45 minutes against Manchester United in Saturday's 5-0 defeat but is unlikely to be considered for selection today.

Probable formations:

Hibernians: M. Muscat, K. Cassar (A. Xuereb), B. Nisevic, S. Vella, A. Ciantar, E. Mbong, A. Mifsud, N. Chukunyere, P. Pullicino, A. Pulis, R. Baldacchino.

Shelbourne: S. Williams, O. Heary, D. Crawley, T. McCarthy, B. Prenderville, J. Gannon, O. Cahill, S. Byrne, T. Molloy, R. Baker, M. Roberts.

Kick-off: 9.05 p.m. (live on NET TV).