Hibs party after finally bringing a trophy home

Hibs have won the CIS League Cup, after a thrilling final at Hampden. After years of heartache and disappointment, they have at last won a tangible reward for their efforts. Fittingly, they won the trophy with the brand of passing football that has become their trademark.

The club last won a trophy in 1991 - that was the League Cup too, although it was sponsored by Skol lager back then. Since then, they and every other club in Scottish football have watched as Rangers and Celtic have hoovered up every championship between them, and most of the other silverware on offer as well. But Hibs failed to pick up any of the occasional scraps that were thrown from the Old Firm table.

To be fair, for much of that period they had other things to worry about, such as crippling debt, relegation battles, or managers that had lost their way. Most cup runs had ended prematurely, but in recent years they had got tantalisingly close, before failing once again. It was no great surprise that they were beaten by Celtic in the 2001 Scottish Cup final, but losing the League Cup final to Livingston in 2004 was a real shock. In 2005 and 2006 they were defeated in Scottish Cup semi finals, the latter a traumatic spanking by Hearts. But not this time. Hibernian are the Cinderella of Scottish football no more.

Sunday's 5-1 scoreline was a bit harsh on Kilmarnock, in the sense that history will record this match as a one-sided thrashing, which it wasn't. The first half was fairly even, as predicted by most pundits, with the atrocious weather making conditions difficult and both sides keeping the opposition's strikers quiet and patiently looking for an opening. If Steven Naismith's 20th minute effort hadn't gone just wide of the Hibs goal, the game would have been very different. But Kilmarnock did less well 7 minutes later, when they allowed Rob Jones to get a run at a Hibs corner and bullet the header into the net.

Kilmarnock probably felt aggrieved to go into the break a goal down, but already there were cracks appearing that would become chasms in the 2nd half. The key to the match was that Hibernian used the width of the Hampden pitch much more effectively. While Naismith swapped flanks trying to get on the ball, Ivan Sproule was always available on the Hibs right to receive the ball and run at the opponents. Killie doubled up on him to negate the threat, but this left yawning gaps on the other side of the park. With Hibs' two fullbacks always bright and looking to get forward, they started to dominate possession.

As well as pretty football, Hibs have also developed a reputation for trusting in youth, and they were true to their philosophy here. As well as a 19 year old, Andy McNeil, in goal, they had another teenager, Lewis Stevenson, in midfield. The precocious young scamp even had the cheek to collect the Man of the Match award.

From the sidelines, John Collins was constantly driving his team on. There was no question Hibs were going to try and sit on a one goal lead - they wanted to win in emphatic style. The strikers started coming into the game more as Hibs went for the kill, and Steven Fletcher and Abdessalam Benjelloun got a goal each before Killie scored themselves from a corner. 3-1 down, with 15 minutes to go, Killie had no choice but to attack, but it left them exposed at the back, and they conceded the final 2 goals in the last 5 minutes. It was only then that their loyal fans started leaving in numbers, as the Hibs supporters danced and sang in delight.

If 30,000 supporters belting out "Sunshine on Leith" at Hampden wasn't enough to convince onlookers of how much this meant to the club, the scenes back in Edinburgh made it abudantly clear. As the open top bus carried the trophy and the team through Leith to the stadium, tens of thousands lined the streets to applaud their heroes, and then stormed the stadium to see the cup being brought home. There were chaotic scenes as some fans invaded the pitch and ruined the planned presentation, but this was a spontaneous outpouring of joy. The pubs around the stadium then heaved with punters drinking to their success late into the night.

That's what happens when a club that has been starved of success finally has something to celebrate.