Hibernians 1
Sliema Wanderers 1
(aet; Hibs win 3-0 on penalties)
\nA high-octane encounter brought the 2006-2007 season to a barnstorming finish yesterday as Hibs and Sliema Wanderers contested the U*Bet FA Trophy.
Bound by a mutual resolve to lay their hands on the second most prestigious honour in Maltese football, the two finalists and their supporters went through a roller-coaster ride of emotions as Sliema, leading through a 70th minute header by Ian Ciantar, had victory within sight but Hibs hit a last-gasp equaliser to send the game into extra time.
The stalemate persisted in the additional 30 minutes to force the game into a penalty shoot-out.
Sliema were up against it when Orosco Anonam and David Carabott, their initial penalty takers, rattled the woodwork while Hibs converted theirs through Pablo Doffo, Andre Rocha Da Silva and Aaron Xuereb.
The must-score pressure weighing on Brian Said's shoulders as he prepared to take Sliema's third penalty told in the end as the shot from the Blues skipper was pawed away by Mario Muscat amidst the joy of the Hibs players and fans who thus retained the FA Trophy and secured a place in the UEFA Cup.
The Sliema players left the National Stadium as crestfallen figures after losing a final they had come so close to winning.
As a result of Hibs' victory last night, Birkirkara, who finished third in the league, will take part in the Intertoto Cup whereas Valletta miss out on European football for the second year in succession.
But the night belonged to Hibs whose celebrations reached a climax when Muscat lifted the FA Trophy.
There were no surprises in the team selections. Hibs coach Robert Gatt kept faith with the starting XI for the 2-1 semi-final win over Valletta and Ray Farrugia, the Sliema Wanderers mentor, effected one, injury-enforced change from the team he fielded in the 3-0 extra-time win over Msida St Joseph.
Anonam was charged with the onus of replacing Alex Muscat who suffered an ankle injury last Sunday. Jeffrey Chetcuti, another injury doubt in the build-up to yesterday's final, was passed fit to play.
A loud cheer and fireworks made for a noisy welcome to the two teams as two sets of enthusiastic fans did their best to roar their teams on before and during the final.
Prior to kick-off, Sliema official Mark Mignieco presented a memento to David Carabott and Joe Brincat.
The two former Malta internationals, both named as substitutes for yesterday's final, have called time on their illustrious careers.
The game was still in its infancy when a diving header by Da Silva was blocked by Murphy Akanji. At the other end, Muscat needed two touches to tame Anonam's firm shot from the distance.
Both sides were set out in their now familiar 4-4-2 configuration with Andrew Cohen and Terrence Scerri leading Hibs' attacking drive and Aleksandar Madzar and Ivan Woods doing likewise for the Blues.
It was not before the 15th minute that the match threw up another glimmer of a chance.
Chetcuti's left-wing pass soared above the Hibs defence but Madzar's header was easy prey for Muscat.
Midway through the first half, the erstwhile subdued Scerri threatened to land a sudden and potentially decisive impact on the game. Evading the attentions of the back-tracking Sliema defenders, the robust Hibs striker sped forward to reach Da Silva's lofted pass but his fiercely-hit volley flew wide and high.
The Sliema bench leapt to their feet to show their disappointment over a sliding tackle by Xuereb on Woods. In no time, the Hibs coach and substitutes jumped out of the dug-out to voice their disapproval when Chetcuti floored the advancing Rocha Da Silva. The two miscreants received a yellow card.
A minute past the half hour, Woods pounced on a loose ball outside the Hibs box and intelligently laid it back for the unmarked Roderick Bajada in the inside-right channel but his low strike presented no menace to Muscat.
Brisk movement by the Hibs forwards caused havoc in the Sliema area as Akanji fumbled a cross but Sharlon Pace dashed in to block Matthew Bartolo's attempt.
Three minutes before the end of the first half, Madzar and Bajada exchanged quick passes before the latter took aim at goal only for his grounder to be stopped by Muscat.
In first-half stoppage time, Akanji did well to turn Xuereb's deflected shot over the crossbar after the Sliema defence had somehow managed to ward off Scerri's attempt.
Early in the second half, Akanji scampered to his right to save a long-range effort by Cohen and, at the other end, Woods blasted high from a good position.
The Wanderers would have broken the stalemate on 54 minutes but for two top-drawer saves by Muscat. Having just parried a dangerous shot by Giglio, the Hibs goalkeeper got back on his feet just in time to smother away Woods's scorcher from inside the penalty area.
Halfway through the second half, Gatt effected his first substitution, throwing on Adrian Pulis for the hobbling Clayton Failla.
With 20 minutes of the game remaining, Sliema opened the scoring. Their goal came from an unlikely source but it was nonetheless stupendous as defender Ciantar flashed in to direct a glancing header past Muscat from Bajada's perfectly-flighted free-kick.
Gatt's riposte to Sliema's breakthrough was to haul off Edmond Agius in favour of Ndubisi Chukunyere. The Nigerian marched towards the Sliema penalty area to take up an attacking role alongside Scerri as Cohen dropped to midfield.
As the minutes rolled by, Hibs piled the pressure on Sliema and only the defiant interventions of Akanji and his defensive colleagues kept the likes of Scerri and Cohen at bay.
Nine minutes from time, Farrugia withdrew Madzar, a striker, in favour of Brincat, a midfielder. Bajada might have sealed it but his rising effort ended wide.
In stoppage time, Akanji neutralised a long-range strike from substitute Julian Vella but just when it seemed that Sliema had done enough to win this final, Hibs equalised.
Pulis's looping cross sparked a goalmouth melee as Akanji just intercepted Chukunyere but the ball sailed towards the edge of the box only to be redirected towards goal by Da Silva. Akanji looked to get a slight touch to the ball but it was not enough to stop Da Silva's header sailing into the net. So to extra time.
Inside the second minute of extra time, Bajada rifled in a low shot which Muscat saved and Akanji did likewise from Scerri's grounder.
The Sliema goalkeeper was prominent again minutes later when foiling Cohen.
With tiredness now taking its toll on both teams, the game became stretched. Three minutes before the end of the first half of extra-time, Carabott came on for Pace who sustained an injury.
The Paolites might have surged ahead before the short break but Scerri first arrowed a shot wide of the far post and then had another dangerous effort saved by Akanji.
Bajada, sent clear by Woods, ran towards goal but he stuttered with the result that Muscat easily blocked.
Carabott could have marked his swansong with a great goal had his thumping shot from an angled position not whistled inches wide of the near post.
Hibs screamed penalty when Scerri went down under the weight of Ciantar's challenge but referee Joe Attard was unmoved.
With the score still locked at 1-1 at the end of the additional 30 minutes, a penalty shoot-out was to decide the winner of this final.
Hibs showed nerves of steel and clinical finishing to achieve their eighth FA Trophy triumph.
Hibs: M. Muscat, J. Caruana, A. Xuereb, C. Failla ('68 A. Pulis), P. Doffo, A. Cohen, M. Bartolo ('81 J. Vella), T. Scerri, E. Agius ('71 N. Chukunyere), A. Rocha Da Silva, K. Cassar.
Sliema: M. Akanji, R. Bajada, J. Chetcuti, I. Ciantar, S. Giglio ('87 C. Nwoko), A. Madzar ('81 J. Brincat), C. Mattocks, O. Anonam, S. Pace ('102 D. Carabott), B. Said, I. Woods.
Referee: Joe Attard.
Scorers: Ciantar 70; Da Silva 90.
Yellow cards: Doffo; Woods; Xuereb; Chetcuti; Da Silva; Cohen; Nwoko; Ciantar.
Penalty sequence: Doffo (H) scored 1-0; Anonam (S) missed 1-0; Da Silva (H) scored 2-0; Carabott (S) missed 2-0; Xuereb (H) scored 3-0; Said (S) saved 3-0.