by Hibernians delivered a 17-0 victory against Mtarfa in a match where the two sides may have been closing the chapter with more than just round two. Yolande Attard and Sarah Urpani grabbed a brace each. Nicole Sciberras, Kayleigh Chetcuti and substitute Nyorah Celeste each scored a hat-trick. Amy Busuttil, Martina Borg and Natalee Geren scored a goal apiece, while Kiley Norkus also capped off her debut with a goal.
Team Selections
Mtarfa’s Simon Spiteri opted to start with Maria Abdilla in goal. She was protected by a four player defence with Paula Ciappara and Shania Spiteri at its centre, while Kerrie Ciappara and Corine Deguara protected the flanks. Katya Camilleri started in midfield alongside Rachel Sultana and Oumayma Jelili. In attack, Dorienne Grech was flanked by Eliza Azzopardi and Alice Ferrari.
Meanwhile Keith Gouder continued trusting Zeeyana Jivraj in goal. There were no changes in defence with Chloe Ellul and Yolande Attard starting in the full-back roles, while Natalee Geren and Amy Busuttil continued their centre-back partnership. Captain Martina Borg started in a more retreated role, with Kayleigh Chetcuti and Nicole Sciberras in midfield. Debutant Kiley Norkus started on the left flank, while Sarah Urpani shifted to the right. Leah Ayres led the line.
Hibernians Fire Up Scoring Spree
Although the performances of the two teams in the season so far would have tilted predictions in Hibernians’ favour ahead of the match, the game appeared to transcend into a particularly special afternoon for those in white. First goals, hat-tricks and senior debuts all led to a hallmark finish to the round for Hibernians.
Gouder’s team did not take long to start edging toward goal, but an initial shot from Leah Ayres was saved by Maria Abdilla, before the striker fired the rebound wide in what became a frustrating pattern in her afternoon. Martina Borg was next to try her luck but Mtarfa’s goalkeeper also stuck out a knee to deny her.
It was instead Yolande Attard who broke the deadlock in the 9th minute. Hibernians’ number eleven cut inside and fired a strike toward the far corner, which hit the post on its way in.
The Paolites kept breaking past the defensive line with Kiley Norkus getting a couple of opportunities to try her luck for a debut goal. In one instance, Amy Busuttil picked out the American with a well weighted diagonal ball, but the American’s shot was blocked from the tight angle.
Instead, it was Nicole Sciberras who doubled the lead from a corner, just before the quarter hour mark. Kayleigh Chetcuti chose a low delivery, which Sciberras hit first time to loop it across into the left side of the goal.
Having set up a goal, Chetcuti was next to get herself on the scoresheet five minutes later. The number seven applied enough pressure to induce a mistake from Mtarfa’s back-line as they attempted to play out, which she followed up by placing the ball into the right side of the goal.
Amy Busuttil made it four on the 20 minute mark, by converting into the bottom left corner from the spot to grab her first goal in the shirt. The defender almost doubled up her tally just three minutes later by attempting to convert a cross from Sarah Urpani. However the strike was parried away by the goalkeeper.
The Paolites made it five close to the half-hour mark. Natalee Geren started the attack with a splitting pass that released Yolande Attard into space. The number eleven cut-back into Nicole Sciberras who placed it home into the right corner of the goal.
Martina Borg made it six in the 35th minute by finishing into the bottom left corner from a cut-back from the byline, delivered by Sarah Urpani.
The match fizzled out in intensity as injuries piled for Mtarfa, inducing stoppages. Things started to heat up between players from either side on the pitch as Hibernians were getting increasingly frustrated with the stoppages and a few questionable official calls going against them.
Half-Time Score: Mtarfa 0 – 6 Hibernians
Hibernians Extend Lead
Keith Gouder made two swaps at the break. Captain Martina Borg gave way to Martina Spiteri, while Leah Ayres was directly replaced by Nyorah Celeste. Hibernians picked up exactly where they left off. Sarah Urpani delivered the 7th of the afternoon in the 49th minute with a tap in after Maria Abdilla parried a low long-range effort from Natalee Geren.
Nyorah Celeste was quick to get herself on the scoresheet, just five minutes into her appearance. She was initially released with a long ball over the top by Chloe Ellul, before looping in Yolande Attard. Although the latter’s shot was saved, Nyorah Celeste made sure to rebound into the net.
Kayleigh Chetcuti made it nine for the team and two for herself just two minutes later with another tap in. Sarah Urpani had done well to loop in Nyorah Celeste, whose initial effort was saved, before Chetcuti converted.
It seemed that Sarah Urpani was keen on continuing the pattern of stunners started by Veronique Mifsud, Shona Zammit and Jessica Dimech in the final weekend of round 2. She took the team into double figures in the 57th minute. Hibernians’ number eight cut inside onto her left foot and curled the strike into the top left corner from inside the edge of the penalty box.
Hibernians kept flooding forward and Kayleigh Chetcuti fired in the 11th goal to complete her hat-trick just two minutes later, after a series of off-the-line clearances from Mtarfa. Chloe Ellul was next to dart forward, but having done brilliant work to get into a shooting position pulled her effort just wide.
In the meantime, despite the flood of goals, Mtarfa’s Paula Ciappara continued defending through gritted teeth and blocked well to deny Kayleigh Chetcuti a certain goal. Maria Abdilla was still at full voice, essentially guiding the team from between the goalposts, up to the point of guiding a switch in positions on the field.
Nyorah Celeste continued her bright appearance, netting her second and completing the dozen by converting a cross from Kayleigh Chetcuti in the 63rd minute. Mtarfa’s Simon Spiteri brought on Katie Gribbon in replacement of Rachel Sultana in attack.
Keith Gouder handed Amber Galea her senior debut in the 66th minute, who replaced Amy Busuttil in the heart of the defence. Meanwhile, Shyan Sammut made another appearance in replacement of Kayleigh Chetcuti.
Two More Hat-Tricks, A Debut Goal & First Goal To Wrap The Afternoon
Substitute Martina Spiteri showed good work ethic to win the ball at the edge of the box, but her long-range effort was saved by Maria Abdilla. It was instead Nicole Sciberras who slotted the next to wrap up her hat-trick. Hibernians’ number twenty skipped past two markers before placing into the bottom right corner in the 67th minute. Keith Gouder handed goalkeeper Maya Muscat her senior debut shortly after, who replaced Zeeyana Jivraj.
Commotion ensued as Hibernians were awarded a free-kick inside the penalty box following Maria Abdilla been deemed to have incorrectly handled the ball. The Mtarfa goalkeeper got into the thick of things arguing that she was getting punished for a miscommunication between the linesman and the referee. Things escalated to the point of the goalkeeper sitting herself on the bench, forcing coach Simon Spiteri into bringing on Kendra Micallef in her stead. Kerrie Ciappara blocked Hibernians’ effort to limit the damage.
Meanwhile, although having limited forward momentum, Mtarfa attempted to go long. However, Amber Galea kept her cool to read the play, before sending the team forward once more. In midield, Shyan Sammut was looking to get involved in feeding the wide forwards.
Kiley Norkus had to remain patient, but capped her debut with a goal ten minutes from time. The American ran unmarked into the box and placed a cool low finish into the net to grab the team’s fourteenth goal.
Having been denied by the woodwork in the reverse match, and seen a few efforts creep off-target but urged on by her teammates, Natalee Geren fired the fifteenth goal and her first in a Hibernians’ shirt in the 86th minute. Continuing with the trend of the weekend, the American surged forward in the middle of the pitch before delivering a powerful strike from distance that hugged the roof of the net on its way in.
Nyorah Celeste capped off her hat-trick in the 89th minute, on the slide, after Kendra Micallef saved an initial effort from Shyan Sammut. Yolande Attard got the spree going in the match and was the one to end it, by converting Sarah Urpani’s delivery from a free-kick in injury time.
Final Score: Mtarfa 0 – 17 Hibernians
More Than Just A Change In League Phase?
Hibernians ended the round with the biggest victory in the league this season (out of any team) in what may have been Keith Gouder’s final match in charge of the team. The Sporting Fan understands that the Hibernians’ coach may be stepping down for personal reasons after steering Hibernians into third place at the end of round two.
The Paolites will start the final phase with a tally of 32 points in third place. They will be competing in the top section of the league. They start the commitments against Swieqi United next Saturday (20th) at 14:00 at Mgarr Ground.
Meanwhile, the manner of the defeat is likely to have pressed more questions on Mtarfa’s part too. The idea of folding the team may have been floated more than once in the past weeks. On the other hand, the Blues have shown resilience and sparks of individual potential, which may tilt the side into bringing new energy to nurture that potential instead of throwing the towel. As things stand, they will kick off their commitments in the second section of the table against San Gwann on Thursday 18th at the Victor Tedesco Stadium (20:30).
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