Żabbar St Patrick earned their first point of the season with a spirited 2-2 draw against Hibernians at the Tony Bezzina Stadium, despite finishing the game with ten men.
Coming into the match on the back of a defeat to Sliema Wanderers, the Saints were eager to respond, and they started brightly. Summer signing Pedro Cejas gave them the lead just before the half-hour mark, reacting quickest to a rebound after Justin Haber had parried Brian Gambarte’s free-kick onto the post.
Hibernians, however, showed their resilience. On the stroke of half-time, captain Bjorn Kristensen produced a stunning strike from the edge of the box to level the score. The Paolites carried that momentum into the second half, as Pedro Cacho fired them in front with a powerful effort in the 56th minute.
Żabbar refused to give in. Coach Aniello Parisi’s substitutions paid off when Samuel Gomes struck in the 79th minute, capping off a determined display and restoring parity. The Saints even looked the likelier side in the final stages, but their hopes of snatching victory were dashed when substitute Youngwon Im was sent off deep into stoppage time for a reckless challenge.
For Żabbar, the draw marks a step forward after a tough opening week, while Hibernians, now on four points from two matches, continue to show fighting spirit but remain vulnerable at the back, having conceded five goals already this season.
Match Stats
Żabbar St Patrick 2-2 Hibernians
Tony Bezzina Stadium – Ref: Slobodan Petrovic
Goals:
Żabbar: Cejas 29’, Gomes 79’
Hibernians: Kristensen 45’, Cacho 56’
Żabbar St Patrick XI:
L. Camilleri; A. Dumbyua, P. Cejas (82 Y. Im), B. Gambarte, J. Micallef (65 K. Scicluna), S. Jovancic, Z. Leonardi (65 S. Gomes), Vinicius, T. Brito (56 N. Agius), Mayron, M. Fontanella (56 H. Tchaouna).
Hibernians XI:
J. Haber; A. Silas (53 D. Xuereb), L. Villela (53 L. Caruana), Miullen, J. Degabriele (20 A. Bruno), B. Kristensen, J. Teixeira, A. Zammit (83 Charleston), P. Alves (83 D. Bonnici), P. Cacho, Pedrao.
Discipline:
Yellow Cards: Kristensen (H), Teixeira (H), Cejas (Ż), Cacho (H), Agius (Ż)
Red Card: Youngwon Im (Ż) 90’
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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