Hibernians overcome Balzan to join Floriana in second place

BALZAN 0

HIBERNIANS 1

Miullen 70

BALZAN

D. Golovic, S. Arab, T. Caruana, N. Pulis, J. Busuttil, A. Oluwatobiloba, H. Stanic, K. Williams, U. Akpan, E. Kamsoba, M. Lima (71 I. Westendorf).

HIBS

H. Sacco, Kleiton, S. Hamanojda (84 D. Xuereb), K. Shaw, L. Caruana (65 I. Chukunyere), J. Degabriele (65 Miullen), B. Kristensen, Alex Bruno (90 J. Portelli), G. Bastianos (65 K. Fraga), Pedrao, H. Fernandes.

Referee: Ishmael Barbara

Yellow cards: Khaw, Kamsoba, Caruana, Pulis, Fraga.

Hibernians joined Floriana in second place as a goal by substitute Miullen enabled them to defeat Balzan 1-0.

The Paolites, in fact, leapfrog Sliema Wanderers who are now fourth, trailing by one point.

Balzan, on the other hand, remain joint-third from bottom. They should consider themselves quite unlucky to leave the Tony Bezzina Stadium empty-handed, having created the better chances throughout the first half and for most of the second half but eventually, Hibernians scored the goal that mattered.

Balzan showed greater determination right from the start.

Jan Busuttil had a fine shot from outside the area turned into a corner by Hugo Sacco on eight minutes and from the resulting corner by the same Busuttil, Sacco blocked with the former Floriana midfielder taking the rebound and testing the Malta Under-21 international goalkeeper once again.

On 27 minutes, Busuttil exchanged the ball with Kamsoba on the right but Higor Gabriel blocked his attempt.

Seven minutes from the end of the first half, Triston Caruana served Henri Stanic with a freekick on the right and the latter’s angled shot was turned into a corner by Sacco.

Hibernians had Bjorn Kristensen testing goalkeeper Danilo Golovic from close range, off a Giannis Bastianos corner from the left, five minutes in the second half.

However three minutes later, Busuttil rounded a defender and tried his luck with a rising shot from outside the area but Sacco tipped the ball into a corner.

Hardly a minute had passed and Oluwatobiloba entered the area from the right, Akpan left the ball for Triston Caruana whose powerful drive ended just over the bar.

On 68 minutes, Busuttil just failed to connect off an inviting assist by Marcel Lima from the left.

Hibernians managed to break the deadlock on 70 minutes. Following a cross by Kleiton from the left, Silas Hamanojda exchanged the ball with Bjorn Kristensen before delivering a cross from the right and Miullen controlled before hitting home past the Balzan custodian.

The Paolites were now brimming with confidence and two minutes later, Miullen released Isaiah Chukunyere on the left with the latter hitting the upright.

Finally, two minutes from time, Chukunyere forced Golovic into a difficult save with a powerful shot from inside the area following an assist by Kristensen from the left.