Watch: Hibernians hold onto win over Naxxar in five-goal thriller

HIBERNIANS 3 

Villela 14, 22; Xuereb 30 

NAXXAR LIONS 2 

Farias 3, Angulo 38 

HIBERNIANS 

N. Sanchez, K. Shaw, L. Villela, K. Fraga , B. Kristensen, D. Xuereb (72 Carvalho), R. Monteiro, I. Chukunyere, S. Sorokin (90 T. Eviparker), A. Bruno , M. Ellul (90 J. Portelli). 

NAXXAR 

M. Deboo, N. Micallef, B. Sane (82 Q. Opajobi), N. Pace Cocks , E. Bolanos Angulo, E. Farias, H. Coelho, A. Helder Maicon, F. Barbosa Pereira, J. Cardoso. 

Referee Emanuel Grech.

Yellow cards: Coelho, Sane, Helder.

Lucas Villela grabbed a brace as Hibernians battled back from a goal down to beat Naxxar Lions. 

Hibernians were relieved last Thursday to beat Naxxar Lions and reach the semi-finals of the FA Trophy for the first time in three years. Fate would have it that these teams would meet again three days later.  

So given their position in the standings, the two sides were adamant to take full points from the match. 

The Hibernians coach Branko Nisevic rang the changes as Isaiah Chukunyere, Stanislav Sorokin and Matthew Ellul were drafted into the starting formation. 

Likewise, his counterpart George Vella effected a number of changes with first-choice goalkeeper Matthias Debono was back between the goalposts, as Maicon, Edson Farias and Edward Angulo, rested in midweek, were back into the fray. 

And the trio combined to take a shock lead after just three minutes. Maicon delivered the ball for Angulo whose shot was blocked by Pablo Sanchez, Farias ran onto the rebound and thumped the ball home. 

The Paolites reacted immediately and Khevin Fraga hit a rising shot just over, which served as a warning shot. 

Hibs struck soon after as Villela ran onto Chukunyere’s through-ball before slotting behind Debono. 

But just Naxxar were getting back into the game, Villela was given the chance to make it 11 goals in eight games for Hibernians. The 26-year-old striker outran his marker to slot the ball home.  

There was no let-up for Hibs when on the half-hour mark Dexter Xuereb slammed a rising freekick beyond Debono with the aid of the underside of the bar. 

But Hibs tempo was interrupted on 38 minutes when Naxxar snatched back the initiative and Maicon squared for Angulo to score his third goal in three starts for Naxxar Lions. 

That goal should have signalled the opening of the floodgates in the second half, not the end of the game, but both sides wasted chance after chance in a nail-bitting second period. 

Naxxar’s biggest hope of grabbing the equaliser came in the shape of Angulo Bolanos after 58 minutes when he should have gone for goal himself rather than trying to square the ball with the goal gaping. 

Hibs had a number of chances to take the result beyond their opponents’ reach with Carvalho and Villela. 

But in the end, Hibernians held firm to climb fourth in the standings.