Valletta's treble bid faces Hibs test

Valletta will be aiming to keep their treble dream alive when they encounter Hibs in the U* Bet FA Trophy quarter-final at the National Stadium this afternoon ( 4 p. m.).

With the BOV Super Cup safely tucked away in their trophy cabinet, the Citizens are eager to embellish their collection with two other honours, namely the Premier League and the FA Trophy.

Nine points to the good at the top of the Premier League, Valletta are within touching distance of the league crown and a win over Hibs today would take them through to the semi-finals of the Trophy.

Uplifted by a 3-0 win over rivals Floriana in Sunday’s derby, Valletta are optimistic about their chances of staying on course to defend the Trophy but Hibs will surely be spurred on by a desire to redeem themselves for a disappointing league campaign by going all the way in the KO.

The prospect of wrecking Valletta’s treble bid ought to reinforce Hibs’ motivation but that’s a big ask for Mark Miller’s men as no team has managed to taste victory against the Whites this season.

Although Valletta are regarded as favourites to move into the semifinals on the back of their consistent form this season, midfielder Edmond Agius is urging caution.

“ Every match has been difficult for us this season because the other teams are fired up to beat Valletta,” Agius, who burst onto the scene as a promising, combative midfielder with Hibs before switching to Valletta three years ago, said.

“ This is a knock-out tie and Hibs will surely give their all to get to the semi-finals but we prefer to think about ourselves. We know the potential of our squad and we are confident of winning every match.”

Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa is unlikely to tinker with his formation from the Floriana win. Roderick Briffa is still recovering from a hamstring strain but all the other players are available for selection.

Although the league title is Valletta’s no. 1 target, the 24-yearold Agius insisted that the Citizens are also determined to hold on to the Trophy.

“ Our aim is to win and progress to the semi-finals,” Agius said. “ We will do our utmost to defend the Trophy.

“ The atmosphere in the dressing room is very upbeat, especially after our derby win, but we appreciate the importance of staying focused.

“ We’ve enjoyed a very positive season so far but we need to win this game to keep moving in the right direction.”

The 2010/ 11 Valletta squad have a chance to write another golden page in the club’s history if they make a clean sweep of the major domestic honours, moreso if they manage to go through a whole season unbeaten.

“ We take every game as it comes,” Agius replied when asked if the Valletta players were contemplating the possibility of completing a treble without conceding defeat.

“ Our target is to win as many honours as possible. We’d love to finish the season unbeaten but our priority is to collect trophies.”

On a personal level, Agius has good reason to look forward to the remainder of the season with enthusiasm after a series of robust performances earned him a sustained run in the first team.

“ It’s no secret that at Valletta, the competition for first-team places is intense,” Agius said. “ I always give my 100 per cent. It’s up to the coach to pick the players but I trust he always does what is best for the team.”

While Valletta will be making their bow in this season’s FA Trophy, Hibs defeated Division One sides Pietà and St Andrew’s on their way to the last eight.

For a long period this season, Hibs looked to be in freefall and also suffered the ignominy of ending up in the Relegation Pool but a run of three successive wins has secured their Premier League status and also enhanced their self-belief ahead of their Tophy duel with Valletta.

“ Before the draw, every team wanted to avoid Valletta,” Hibs captain Mario Muscat said.

“ I believe that the other seven clubs were hoping to meet Valletta in the final because, assuming they go on to win the league, that would have guaranteed the finalists a place in the Europa League.

“ Besides that, everyone knows that it’s hard to beat Valletta because they’ve got the strongest squad. However, KO competitions are famed for throwing up surprises.”

Probably for the first time this season, coach Miller can send out his strongest formation as Hibs have no injury worries.

Hibs may have failed to justify early optimism about a potential tilt at the Premier League title but Muscat balked at suggestions that his team have had a dismal season.

“ I don’t agree that Hibs have had a disappointing league campaign,” Muscat said. “ Our results were not in keeping with expectations but our performances in many games were good. The teams in the Premier League are balanced and this was reflected in the tight race for the Championship Pool.

“ We’ve been playing well lately and our morale is very high. I believe this quarter-final comes at the best possible moment for us.”

Despite being targeted for some terrible abuse by the City fans this season, Muscat preferred to dwell on the positive side of his team’s rivalry with Valletta.

“ There’s always rivalry because Valletta are the team of the moment, they are the team to beat,” the veteran goalkeeper observed.

“ There’s a semi-final berth at stake and both sides will be wanting to win. To do it by beating Valletta would give us great satisfaction because they are still without a defeat this season.

“ We are optimistic about our chances of going through to the next round. We’ve had a good week of preparations and if we all pull in the same direction, we can do it.”