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HIBERNIANS’ REDEMPTION AS QORMI HOODOO PERSISTS

Published: 23-05-2013 12:30
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Hibernians were in festive mood on Wednesday 22nd May. Their players’ and officials’ impromptu circle dance all hand in hand in the middle of the Ta’ Qali pitch soon after they defeated Qormi 3-1 in the U*BET FA Trophy final was the first sign of joyous steam being let off following their tenth silver trophy success in their history..   The Paolites were on a redemption mission barely 11 days after they had been flattened by Birkirkara 3-1 in a championship decider. Their disappointment after having failed that test somehow had to be cast aside. It was a mental mountain they had to climb. The prize for Michael Woods and his troupes was a lucrative ending to the season. The bold Qormi were in their way. Would the hoodoo which had tormented the yellow blacks in their previous two finals persist? They were on  the losing end in 2010 and in 2012 against Valletta and Hibernains respectively. Their faithful supporters were hoping that the team would at last sail their vessel triumphantly into port. As it turned out, Hibernians managed to roll the ball effetively as their receptive feet started to combine in perfect syn with their perceptive minds. Qormi had little answer to this and could only hang on until half time. The damage was to be inflicted after the teams shifted ends. Then Paolites surged into a 2-0 lead thanks to a brace from Edison Luis Dos Santos before tossing away a handful of golden opprtunities when it was easier to find the net rather than miss the target. Qormi, who had Alfred Effiong crying off after almost a quarter of an hour when he slumped to the ground and Matthew Gauci dimissed in the 73rd minute, scored a  consolation goal in added time through Moises Avila Peres. But that was immediately followed by  Jackson Lima’s third goal to make it an identical scoreline to the 2012 final.   After the presentation of the torphy amidst deserved applause for the winners, celebrations at Paola square reached their peak later in the evening. Hibernains were the toast of the town as they ended their season on a triumphant note.