Recoiling cobra strikes twice to knock out Hibs in the Cup
The cold evening was suddenly a distant memory and the chilled beers went down like mother's milk.
ON the eve of the World Cup football tournament, veterans and now officially retired from the Toti O35 football team, Gary Hutchison and Owen Dawson, would have relished an opportunity to be part of this cup match that was albeit written off by the team’s peers as a certain victory for perennial league championship contenders, Hibs.
Toti was missing four of arguably their best players, Sheppie and Chris the Grundy Machine (away on business), Zulu Dawn Craig (red card suspension) and Michael Chappie (out for the rest of the season with a neck injury).
A trip all the way out to Crusaders in Durban North on a cold, wintry evening to chase leather was not quite my idea of fun but such is the South Coast bullets’ love for the game and their ability to still be able to play it with passion, that the squad travelled with trepidation in their hearts and fire in their souls and by the grace of something very special, managed to translate that passion into action on the park.
Right from the outset, Toti came out fighting like Hull against Arsenal in the FA Cup final but this script had an entirely different ending. Iron man, Ian Bender, had to leave the field very early in the game with an injured calf muscle and Janos Molnar found himself back in the fray and did a superb job of containing the dynamic Hibs centre forwards. Toti dominated the exchanges in midfield and put pressure on the Hibs defenders for the first 10 minutes and then like clockwork, Hibs struck on the counter attack and against the run of play to score the opening goal.
This should have signaled a flurry of goals from Hibs but the midfield general, Mark Bingham, turned it around with a superlative cross into the danger area for Dean ‘the recoiling cobra’ Carson to run onto the ball with a towering World Cup equalising glory goal with a header that brought a hushed silence over the Hibs supporters. Toti stepped up their game and played with purpose and to their full potential with swift, clean and accurate passing that had the Hibs players in sixes and sevens in the midfield. The work rate was phenomenal from the likes of Sipho Hotstix, Dale Studinski, Avelino Lourenco and Mathew ‘the tyre dude’ Powell and when Shaun Holmes found some space to send in a cross just outside the penalty area, ‘the recoiling cobra’ was poised, hooded and ready to strike again with a glancing header that wrong footed everyone and left the Hibs goalkeeper stranded on his line.
With their souls on fire and the trepidation long forgotten, Toti displayed a determination and dedication to win this game at all costs and put their bodies on the line. They fought for every ball until the half time whistle blew with Toti surprisingly and yet deservedly in the lead 2-1.
After the break, man of the match, Roderick Sass, continued to impress and create space with his wing back runs down the flanks and his cover defense to contain the relentless Hibs counter attack. Vishnu Naidoo marshaled the backline in his newfound sweeping role like a seasoned pro, and goalkeeper Conrad Rubino played the game of his life between the sticks.
Hibs were pushing for that equaliser that would take this cup match into extra time but the bullets bit hard and held on with some hair-raising close shaves – especially when Dale Studinski cleared a dangerous header from a corner and then Conrad pulled off a magnificent one-handed save from close range to steer the ball over the crossbar. Every single player gave 100% to beat and frustrate this cocky Hibs team, which has been rated as one of the top teams of the league for over a decade and it gave manager, Deon Dunbar, a great sense of pride and extreme pleasure to walk over to the Hibs manager after the game and shake his hand as the winning team. Something that Toti has never been able to achieve against this side and in fact even the older senior citizen boys that sit in front of their TVs clenching remotes cannot remember ever beating Hibs and so this classic, historic cup victory made me very proud to be part of by catching a run. The cold evening was suddenly a distant memory and the chilled beers went down like mother’s milk.
Final score was 2-1 to Toti.
