Flashpoint... Jonathan Caruana (grounded) raises his left foot as Hibs’ wing-back Marcelo Dias tumbles over the Valletta defender. Photo: Paul Zammit CutajarFlashpoint... Jonathan Caruana (grounded) raises his left foot as Hibs’ wing-back Marcelo Dias tumbles over the Valletta defender. Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar

The best two teams in the country crossed swords on Sunday.

It promised to be a momentous occasion but instead the game unfolded into a tumultuous affair as red cards to Valletta duo Jonathan Caruana and Ryan Fenech in the space of seven first-half minutes all but banished the prospect of a balanced contest.

Hibernians, the undisputed leaders of the BOV Premier League, capitalised on Valletta’s tendency to self-destruct, scoring three goals in the second half to prevail 3-1.

A brace from Brazilian striker Jorginho, after Andrew Cohen had cancelled out Lateef Elford-Alliyu’s opener, effectively sealed the title issue with five months to spare as Hibs surged 15 points clear at the top.

With points being halved at the end of the second round, as things stand, Hibs would start the third and final round with a lead of seven or eight points.

Yet, for much of the opening half, it looked as though Valletta were set to trim the gap as their brisk approach had the Paolites on the ropes.

Cohen offered a refreshingly honest insight into his team’s early struggles.

“Tactically, we knew that we were not 100 per cent prepared to counter Valletta’s system,” the Hibs talisman told Times of Malta.

“The way they play is unpredictable because their midfielders and wingers have no fixed positions. We were a bit hesitant initially as we didn’t have enough time to prepare for this type of game.

“During the week, we couldn’t train on our pitches and went round different venues.

“We were limited to half-pitches and that didn’t help our tactical preparations.

“The main problem during the first half was that Hamza Barry kept drifting into midfield and we often found ourselves outnumbered in that area.

“That said, I have no doubt that, even if the game had stayed 11 vs 11, the second half would have been different as we would surely have made a reaction.”

It still took Hibs a while to press home their two-man advantage as Valletta held on until the break but their resistance began to crumble when Cohen equalised five minutes into the second half.

“We were still nervous after Valletta had a second player sent off,” Cohen said.

“The coach’s talk at half-time helped us a lot. He urged us to attack more down the wings and we started to make headway, especially through Dias.

“The goal coming so early in the second half boosted our confidence.”

Cohen was the catalyst of Hibs’ win as, seven minutes after scoring the equaliser, he produced a mesmerising run that took him into the Valletta box before squaring to Jorginho who did the rest.

The gifted playmaker has rediscovered his sparkle after coming through a torrid spell in the final months of last season.

“I was very pleased with my performance, especially in the second half,” Cohen, 33, said.

“The goal enhanced my confidence. I feel that I’m having a good season.”

Although Hibs would have remained firmly in the driving seat even if they lost on Sunday, Cohen admitted that the win over Valletta was crucial.

“This game was crucial for us not only because we have widened our lead at the top but also because we will not meet Valletta before May,” Cohen said.

“A lot can still happen until then but if they won, things might have been different.

“The January transfer window is approaching and Valletta would probably have strengthened their squad if they won but now they will think twice.

“We were also eager to get a positive result for Tony Bezzina as Sunday’s fixture was his 800th top-flight match since becoming president of Hibernians.

“We were also keen to win for our team manager Jeffrey Farrugia as his assistance is fundamental for us.

“Now, the most important thing for us is to remain consistent but I’m very positive as there is great unity in our squad.”

The Hibernians players and fans had good reason to celebrate after strengthening their iron grip on top spot but, to a large extent, their win was overshadowed by the red-card incidents as the post-match spotlight fell on referee Mario Apap and the Malta FA.

Refereeing issue

A team of match officials from Georgia were supposed to take charge of Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash but Hibs filed a complaint on the grounds that there could be a conflict of interest as Insignia, Valletta’s main sponsors, have a lot of connections in Georgia.

The MFA re-assigned the game to a team of local match officials, led by Apap who took centre-stage when showing a straight red card to Caruana for raising his right foot at Marcelo Dias 30 minutes into the game after the latter had fouled the City defender. Television replays showed that Caruana’s elevated feet did make contact with the Brazilian.

Fenech was sent off six minutes later after a reckless tackle on Dias earned him a second yellow card but it was an earlier decision that had lit the touchpaper for the furious Citizens.

Abdelkarim Nafti looked to have given Valletta a 2-0 advantage after finishing off a great run by Barry but his effort was chalked off as the Tunisian was flagged offside.

Valletta defender Steve Borg is convinced that Nafti’s goal should have stood.

“Nafti’s goal should not have been annulled as he was not offside,” Borg said.

“The linesman made a mistake. If we went 2-0 up, the game would have been effectively over as, even with nine men, I believe that we would have been capable of defending a two-goal lead.

“That was the main turning point in my opinion. At 2-0, the story would have been different.”

Borg was not impressed with Hibernians.

“They didn’t have a shot at goal in the opening 30 minutes,” he remarked.

“Their players didn’t know what hit them. We scored one and had another ruled out.

“We know that, as a team, we are better than Hibs.

“Although our title chances have taken a hit after this defeat, we will not give up.

“Last year, we virtually trailed Birkirkara all season but we won the title on the final day.

“Four years ago (2010/11), we were in the same position as Hibs are in now.

“We had a big advantage but in the final round we came to a point where Birkirkara had the chance to get back on level points with us if they won the direct clash.

“That situation came about after we dropped points in consecutive draws against Ħamrun Spartans and Marsaxlokk. We then beat Birkirkara and went on to win the title.

“The scenario is more complicated this season as the league is over three rounds but we will keep fighting until the end. We will certainly not be handing the title to Hibs on a plate.”

Borg embodied Valletta’s resilience on Sunday, storming forward from his defensive position as the Whites chased an equaliser but, in his own words, the two red cards left them with “a mountain to climb”.

“At 2-1 down, we tried to get an equaliser,” Borg said.

“We had a chance with Roderick Briffa and I also had an opportunity from a corner.

“But, with nine men, we had a mountain to climb and that third goal in stoppage time killed us.”

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