Stripes make a comeback to beat Hibernians
by Ayrton Galea - 29th January 2017
Birkirkara FC produced an excellent performance, when they came from behind to register a brilliant 2-1 victory over Hibernians FC in the BOV Premier League, thanks to a goal each by Vito Plut and Nikola Vukanac.
A goal by defender Nikola Vukanac ten minutes from time completed Birkirkara's comeback after Vito Plut had cancelled Hibs' Jurgen Degabriele's opening goal to put them back in contention in this season's title race.
As the results unfolded this weekend, with Balzan, Valletta and Floriana all dropping points, the Stripes were left with a golden opportunity to move closer to leap-frog Floriana and move closer to Valletta. And the Stripes didn't let down. They produced an excellent collective performance as their flowing football and interchanging positions upfront unsettled Hibernians who were unable to hold the Stripes despite they had taken the lead early in the second.
Coach Nikola Jaros played a key-role in this biggest victory under his guidance, which was also the first time that the Stripes registered a victory after they had fall behind. He fielded a quite surprising 3-4-2-1 formation as the Stripes started with three at the back for the first-match of the season.
Christian Bubalovic, Nikola Vukanac and Predrag Jovic were the solid back-three for the Stripes as Cain Attard and Joseph Zerafa were given the nod to push forward on the flanks while supporting midfielders Gareth Sciberras and Mislav Andelkovic. Latest signing Miguel Abela and Srdjan Dimitrov were given an offensive role roaming and interchanging positions behind forward Vito Plut.
The First Half
Hibernians went close after ten minutes with their first scoring chance. An in-swinging corner by Jakson Lima on the first post saw Andrei Agius' header hitting the side netting, with the illusion of the goal for the Hibs' clan.
Birkirkara replied on the sixteenth minute with a fine-action. Joseph Zerafa dashed down the left wing before his cross wasn't cleared and Gareth Sciberras' shot was blocked by a fine save of goalkeeper Andrew Hogg.
The Stripes were giving a good account of themselves and they threatened again on the twenty-first minute. Dimitrov and Sciberras exchanged possession well before Sciberras served Dimitrov whose shot was blocked by Hogg.
Hibernians shouted for a penalty mid-way through the first-half. Mallow seemed to push Bubalovic to steal possession but play went on as he sprinted inside the box and sent a low cross. Jorginho fell down as Bonello caught the ball but the referee waved play on.
Birkirkara were producing a satisfactory performance, but it was Hibs who almost broke the dead-lock four minutes before the first-half. A powerful shot by Bjorn Kristensen was blocked by Bonello and Lima hit home from just yards out. However, the goal was disallowed for an offside position.
The Stripes went close before the end of the first-half with a powerful strike of Cain Attard, but his shot was denied with an excellent save of goalkeeper Hogg, as the first-half ended goal-less.
The Second Half
Hibernians surged ahead nine minutes inside the second-half. It was an excellent through-ball by Bjorn Kristensen in the gap between the Birkirkara defenders to Jurgen Degabriele who anticipated Bonello but his effort came off the bar. However, from the rebound, Degabriele fired home.
The Stripes, knowing that only three points would do for them, made an immediate reaction on the hour mark. It was a free-kick on the second post taken by Andelkovic that saw Bubalovic's header denied by an excellent save of goalkeeper Hogg.
However, there was nothing that Hogg could do three minutes later. Miguel Alba supplied an excellent through-ball towards the on-running Vito Plut who kept his cool and drilled a low drive past the Hibernians goalkeeper.
Alba, the Birkirkara playmaker who had a satisfactory performance on his debut, almost turned the score around twenty minutes inside the second half. Attard and Sciberras combined well before the latter served Alba whose curling powerful strike ended just over the bar.
With both teams pushing forward, the three points were up to grab. On the sixty-ninth minute, in a fine combination up-front, the towering Hibernians forward Momodou Jallow surged clear inside the box but Joseph Zerafa produced an excellent tackle just before Jallow was about to pull the trigger.
Christian Bubalovic, pushing forward past the half-way line, tried his long-distance shot but his effort ended wide seventeen minutes from time. Moments later, Johann Bezzina went close with a fine drive from outside the box but his effort failed to hit the target.
The Stripes surged ahead ten minutes from time. Dimitrov delivered an inch-perfect first-post corner kick to Nikola Vukanac and the Serbian defender hit an unstoppable defender in the net. The Birkirkara clan erupted with joy.
Hibernians were stunned. They put everything forward and they almost made the score level. The ball fell into the path of Rodolfo Soares whose shot was pushed away by Bonello into the path of Jorginho but the Brazilian's effort was again blocked by Zerafa.
The Stripes were twice close to put the game to bed by their two substitutes Edward Herrera who first hit a powerful drive wide and then by Ryan Scicluna who off a fast break-away saw his uprising shot ending over, as the score remained unchanged.
Tireless midfielder Gareth Sciberras was voted as the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Henry Bonello, Christian Bubalovic, Gareth Sciberras, Mislav Andelkovic, Srdjan Dimitrov, Vito Plut (90+1' Edmond Agius), Nikola Vukanac, Joseph Zerafa, Miguel Alba (65' Ryan Scicluna), Cain Attard, Predrag Jovic (63' Edward Herrera).
HIBERNIANS: Andrew Hogg, Rodolfo Soares, Marcelo Dias, Jackson Lima (81' Joseph Mbong), Bjorn Kristensen, Jorge Da Silva Perreira, Clayton Failla (70' Clayton Failla), Johann Bezzina (75' Dunstan Vella), Jurgen Degabriele, Jallow Momodou.
Referee: Mario Apap.
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana, William Debatista.
Fourth Official: Etienne Mangion.
Yellow Cards: 48' Andrei Agius (Hibernians), 50' Christian Bubalovic, 90+3 Nikola Vukanac (Birkirkara).
Scorers: 54' Jurgen Degabriele (Hibernians), 63' Vito Plut, 80' Nikola Vukanac (Birkirkara).
BOV Player of the Match: Gareth Sciberras (Birkirkara)
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