Hibernians returned to winning ways as they scored two goals late in the first half to beat Pietà Hotspurs 2-0 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Saturday. A win which enables them to extend their unbeaten run to ten matches, having dropped just two points in the process.
For Pietà, this was the fourth consecutive defeat, leaving them third from bottom on ten points.
The Hotspurs had two changes from the team which lost to Sliema as Christian Degabriele and Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa replaced Travis Bartolo and Dylan Agius. Hibs, on the other hand, named an unchanged team following the draw with Balzan.
The Paolites took the lead on the 36th minute through Joseph Mbong whose fine angled shot beat Nicky Vella.
A minute later, Hibs doubled the score thanks to an unfortunate own goal by Antonio Orlando de Macedo Neto who saw the ball bounce onto his feet and end at the back of the net after a Tiago Adan Fonseca effort was partially saved by Vella.
PIETÀ Nicky Vella, Takaki Ose (46’ Harry Singh), Christian Degabriele (88’ Sheldon Pisani), Neil Pace Cocks, Paul Chimezie, Jan Busuttil, Gabriel Mensah, Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa, Christian Grech, Ishaya Irimiya Jalo (78’ Samuel Okoh), Antonio Orlando Macedo Neto.
Subs not used: Jacob Chircop St John, Travis Bartolo, Clyde Bouvet, Nicholas Pisani.
Coach: Ramon ZammitHIBS Andrew Hogg, Dunstan Vella, Nemanja Radojevic, Joseph Mbong, Marcelo Dias, Jurgen Degabriele (89’ Connor Zammit), Bjorn Kristensen (90’ Andreas Vella), Isaac Ntow, Taylon Nicolas Correa Marcolino (88’ David Xuereb), Andrei Agius, Tiago Adan Fonseca.
Subs not used: Rudy Briffa, Michael Gatt, Daneel Abela, Matthew Neilson Pulis.
Coach: Stefano SanderraReferee: Darryl Agius
Assistant Referees: Roberto Vella, Mitchell Scerri
Fourth Official: Fyodor Zammit
Yellow Cards: Correa, Jalo
BOV Player of the Match: Tiago Adan Fonseca