Late Cohen goal reprieves Hibs

Floriana 0
Hibernians 1

Andrew Cohen kept Hibs' season alive, nodding home the only goal with which the Paolites finally breached the resistance put up by Floriana. For most of the match, Hibs looked bereft of inspiration, making heavy weather of penetrating the well-deployed Greens whose plucky performance defied expectations in view of the selection problems dogging coach Willie Vassallo.

Both sides created a fair amount of chances to break the deadlock but with the life of this game all but snuffed out, Floriana seemed heading for a deserved point before Cohen, undoubtedly one of the Paolites' most committed players yesterday, popped up to direct the ball home from a David Camilleri free-kick.

Cohen's vital goal took Hibs into third place, one point adrift of second-placed Birkirkara and one ahead of Valletta who take on Sliema tomorrow. More importantly, Cohen's intervention ensured that Hibs remained in the race for a place in UEFA club competitions... the verdict will be delivered in the final round of the Premier League matches.

Birkirkara's three points from what had been initially defined as a tricky fixture against Marsaxlokk ought to have increased the pressure on Hibs to beat Floriana.

Robert Gatt, the Hibs coach, had the luxury of choosing his team from a full squad. But, the resources at the disposal of Vassallo, the Floriana coach, were stretched by a long list of injuries which includes Ian Azzo-pardi, Andre Rocha Da Silva, Riad Mynel Gango-Rtsa and Mauro Brincat. Goalkeeper Reuben Gauci was serving a one-match ban.

A tepid opening to the game was partially interrupted by a Christian Cassar free-kick which Mario Muscat, the Hibernians goalkeeper, saved with relative ease.

Hibernians' first notable chance came after 15 minutes when Antoine Zahra made the best of the space down the inside-right channel before sending a low cross to Cohen but the returning Julian Briffa diverted the ball for a corner.

Cohen then attempted a swerving shot from a free-kick but his effort did not unnerve young Floriana goalkeeper David Farrugia as the ball sailed high.

Despite their urgency to gain the points, Hibernians failed to translate their territorial supremacy into clearcut openings. As expected, Floriana were rather cautious in their approach but to their credit, they always tried to carry the ball forward in a constructive manner when they had possession.

A powerful run by Trevor Cilia caused anxiety to a jaded Hibs defence but his cross-shot was blocked by Muscat.

Ndubisi Chukunyere, so influential for Hibs in the last few matches, could have put his team in the driving seat when Cohen's cross from the right dropped in his path but his scrambled effort from close distance flashed against the far post.

Four minutes from the end of the first half, Floriana could have made their opponents pay for their nonchalance but Muscat came to Hibs' rescue. The former Malta goalkeeper flung himself to the right to deviate a point-blank attempt from Joseph Craig Schembri who found himself unmarked when Ryan Darmanin's sliced header reached him at the far post.

Chukunyere needed treatment from club physio Ray Bezzina after picking up a knock towards the end of the first half but fears about his fitness were dismissed when the Nigerian returned to the pitch after the interval.

Hibs' three-man attack of Chukunyere, Cohen and Terence Scerri had struggled to make much of an impression on Floriana's makeshift but hitherto solid defence.

Five minutes from the restart, Scerri should have done better than lifting the ball wide of the far post after being released by Pullicino.

Scerri's wayward finishing frustrated Hibs once more on 55 minutes. A fast counter-attack by the Paolites had Pullicino and Scerri getting behind the backtracking Floriana defence but the Malta U-21 striker's mishit attempt wobbled wide of the post.

There was a marked rise in the frequency of scoring chances in the initial stages of the second half.

The composure and deft footwork of Cassar and Cilia in midfield ensured that Floriana also had their opportunities to open the scoring.

Cilia directed a low shot which Muscat saved and Anthony EviParker's cross-shot from the left side of the penalty area sailed past Muscat and across the face of goal.

At the other end, Floriana 'keeper Farrugia thwarted Hibs when tipping away a menacing Zahra strike but there was a strange element of casualness attached to the Paolites' efforts.

In the interim, Gatt had replaced the wasteful Scerri with Ben Camilleri. With 11 minutes of the game left, Chukunyere supplied an intelligent pass to Cohen whose grounder ended just wide.

As the end of the game beckoned, Gatt's men strove to raise their game.

They should have taken the lead when Cohen's corner was headed firmly by Essien Mbong but Kurt Formosa, standing beside the far post, hooked the ball away.

Hibs' all-out approach left them exposed to Floriana's counter-attacks.

On one occasion, EviParker closed in on goal, ball at his feet, but instead of passing to the better-placed Cilia and Nicolò Baldacchino, he contrived to shoot. His central effort was easily blocked.

Three minutes from time, Farrugia earned the plaudits when touching away Mbong's goalbound strike following a defence-splitting Cohen pass.

However, the promising goalkeeper was beaten in the dying moments when the nippy Cohen got his head to Camilleri's free-kick and sent the ball past Farrugia's reach.

There was still time for a late Floriana chance to salvage a draw but EviParker hit wide from close in.

Floriana: D. Farrugia-7, J. Briffa-6, C. Ciantar-6, M. Caruana-6, J.C. Schembri-7, M. Micallef-6 ('84 M. Gauci), C. Cassar-8, K. Formosa-6, T. Cilia-7, R. Darmanin-6 ('73 N. Baldacchino), A. EviParker-6.

Hibernians: M. Muscat-6, K. Spiteri-5 ('46 R. Baldacchino-5), A. Pulis-6, R. Mintoff-5, D. Camilleri-6, E. Mbong-6, P. Pullicino-6, N. Chukunyere-6, A. Zahra-6 ('90 C. Failla), T. Scerri-5 ('58 B. Camilleri), A. Cohen-7.

Referee: Marco Borg.

Scorer: Cohen 90.

Yellow Cards: Mintoff; Muscat.

Player Of The Match: Ndubisi Chukunyere (Hibs).