HIBERNIANS 2

Taylon 1

Mbong 48

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS 1

Calil 5

Hibernians have extended their winning streak to three games after defeating Ħamrun Spartans 2-1 at the Centenary Stadium, on Sunday.

The teams gave life to a pulsating start to this encounter as Hibernians and Ħamrun found the net inside the first five minutes.

With not even a minute played, Hibs drew first blood through Taylon, who has now scored five goals in seven outings for the Paolites.

Jurgen Degabriele blasted a long-range shot which struck the woodwork before the Brazilian forward put the rebound behind Sean Cini.

The goal came as a cold shower for the Spartans who boast the best defence in the league, with only two goals conceded in six games prior to the Hibs tie. 

Yet, Giovanni Tedesco’s clan managed to claw themselves back into the affair through Caetano Calil, who headed home a Triston Caruana whipped cross from the left flank. 

Immediately in the second half, Hibs put themselves in front for the second time when a loose ball from a set piece dropped on Joseph Mbong’s feet and the latter sent a curling effort past Sean Cini.

As the half wore on, the game dropped its pulsating tempo demonstrated prior to the interval as both teams rarely brought the opponents’ goalkeepers into action. 

Tedesco inserted offensive-minded Ryan Darmanin and youth Bradley Schembri into the field in an attempt to level terms but it proved a daunting task as Hibs managed to keep the Spartans at bay.