Hajduk's five-year wait comes to an end

HNK Hajduk Split secured a 4-1 aggregate victory over HNK Šibenik in the Croatian Cup final to claim their first silverware in five years and deny their coastal opponents a maiden title.

It was nevertheless a historic occasion for Šibenik, who had already secured their biggest success in simply reaching the showpiece. For Hajduk, whose hopes of finishing atop the Croatian First League are already over, the triumph represented a first trophy since their title triumph of 2005.

They headed into the decisive instalment after a 2-1 first-leg win at home and took 16 minutes to build on their advantage, Ante Vukušić finishing well from just inside the penalty area. Their two-goal aggregate cushion was nearly halved almost immediately when Ermin Zec shot narrowly over for the hosts. It was not to be the last chance spurned by Šibenik and they were made to pay for their profligacy in the third minute of added time when Senidad Ibričić did the necessary from the penalty spot.

"We had a task and we completed it," said Hajduk coach Stanko Poklepović. "It is a big pleasure to be part of Hajduk today, we deserved this victory. I have to congratulate not only my players, but also our opponents for a really good match."