When newly-crowned champions Hibernians face Birkirkara in the Attian FA Trophy final on Saturday they will be vying for a successful shot at the season’s last major honour. Having convincingly run away with the BOV Premier League honours, the Peacocks of Paola are making no secrtet of their desire to make it a double and an 11th success in the FA Trophy in what will be their 21st final in the competition.
The team has displayed excellent fare this season and has been by far the most consistent of the lot in the top echelons of the national league. On their part, the Stripes would very much like to put some gloss on their opaque season by landing their fifth Trophy honour in which they will be making their 10th appearance in the final. Like the Paolites, who dismissed Qormi 2-0 in the semi-final last Sunday, Birkirkara are oozing with confidence after seeing off Valletta 1-0 in the first semi-final a day earlier. Everything ponts to an intriguing finale to what has again been a marathon competition with the participation of almost all teams in the Malta and Gozo national leagues. Certainly, Hibernians and Birkirkara have been two of the most consistent teams in recent years, with their haul in this prestigious knock-out competition, the 77th edition this year, having been four each in this millennium. Their numerous fans will throng through the turnstiles to cheer their favourites in what should be an eagerly-awaited showdown of the 2014-2015 season. The match will be played tomorrow with a 5pm Kick-Off time. - The National Stadium Gates and Ticket Booths will open at 3pm.