Andrei Agius had good reason to be cheerful on Wednesday night.
The Malta defender marked his 29th birthday with a typically reassuring performance to help Hibernians capture the BOV Super Cup after overcoming Birkirkara in a combative encounter at the National Stadium.
Trailing to Fabrizio Miccoli’s early goal, Hibernians wiped out the deficit by half-time as own goals from Zach Muscat and Mauricio Mazzetti put them 2-1 ahead. The Paolites may have been lucky to benefit from two own goals but there was nothing fortuitous about their success as they were the better team, es-pecially in the second half.
“Nobody expected us to produce such a convincing showing,” Agius told Times of Malta.
“The first half was generally balanced but we were in control after the break.
“For me, it was a case of double delight as winning the Super Cup was the perfect birthday gift.
“Our no.1 priority was to play well. Obviously, we wanted to win this trophy but, at this stage of the season, the performance is more important.
“The game also showed that the likes of Gilmar and Jorge have started to fit into the team.
“There were a lot of little, positive points to take from this match.”
After storming to the Premier League title last season, Hibs were denied a league and cup double after going down 2-0 to Birkirkara in the final of the FA Trophy.
The pressure is on them (Birkirkara) and Valletta because they have to prove themselves
Wednesday’s win went some way towards assuaging the disap-pointment of the Trophy loss but, more significantly in Agius’s eyes, the Super Cup success ended a run of costly defeats to Birkirkara in decisive games in the past decade, including a title decider in 2012/13.
“The most important thing is that this win has banished what for our fans had become a taboo,” Agius added.
“Hibs had not won a trophy against Birkirkara for many years but we showed that we can hold our own in crucial games against them.
“In so doing, we also made up for our defeat in the FA Trophy.”
The focus had largely been on Birkirkara after their remarkable Europa League showings against West Ham but Hibs’ display served as an eye-opener not only for the Stripes but for all the other teams with ambitions of wresting the title from the Paolites.
Yet, Agius insisted that the pressure is on the likes of Birkirkara and Valletta after a busy summer in the transfer window.
“The pressure is on them (Birkirkara) and Valletta because they have to prove themselves,” Agius remarked.
“We prefer to keep a low profile and see how things develop.
“But Birkirkara are clearly the club that has spent most on players and technical staff. They are investing a lot but that increases the pressure on them.”
Title challenge
With the Super Cup safely locked away in their showcase, Hibs have secured a morale booster ahead of the start of their title defence bid tomorrow week.
“The objective is to retain the league title but we know that it’s going to be difficult because the level has improved,” Agius, who has earned 51 Malta caps, said.
“With more foreigners in the Premier League, all teams can give you a stern challenge on their day.
“We start our league campaign with a tough match against Balzan.
“Birkirkara and Valletta are two title contenders and Sliema Wanderers have also made some important signings.”
Agius, who won his first Premier League medal in his first season with Hibernians, recently signed a four-year deal with his home-town club.
Although Agius is still open to the possibility of moving overseas after spending most of his senior career in Italian football, he is happy at Hibernians.
“After victory in a final, it’s very easy to say that it was the right decision (to extend his contract at Hibernians),” Agius said.
“When the opportunity to play for a Romanian club came about this summer, I sat down to consider my options and the first person who convinced me to stay was the president (Tony Bezzina) because I know what his am-bitions are.
“I did my homework and I think I’ve made the right decision.”