It wasn’t a sure thing until the very end, but New Orleans Saints fans got their long-awaited wish Sunday when Garrett Hartley’s 41-yard field goal sailed through the uprights,

The Saints, more accustomed to being described as “hapless,” beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime for the NFC Championship, setting up the 42-year-old franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl.

“Unbelievable. Just awesome,” shouted Shirley Wilson, one of about 30 Saints fans crowded into the Roca lounge at Vicksburg Country Club. The scene was repeated at Ameristar’s Bottleneck Blues Bar and just about any place in town with a television.

“Are you kidding me?” said Rob Mordica. “This is so beautiful,” he added, hugging anyone he could find.

New Orleans was ahead at times, behind at times and tied with the Vikings, quarterbacked by Mississippi native Brett Favre, at times.

The Vikings were set up to score at the end of regulation play, but a penalty forced Favre to attempt a pass, intercepted by the Saints’ Tracy Porter and setting up the overtime.

“About a week ago, this is how I thought it would be,” said Mordica, Roca manager. “A field goal to win. And nearly the right score, 31-28.”

Vicksburg attorney Mack Varner has followed the Saints since 1967.

“What a game,” Varner said, hugging his wife, Penny, a native of the Crescent City, which has supported the team through far more losing seasons than winning seasons.

“I’m so excited for them,” Penny Varner said.

York Yarborough of Vicksburg was also joyous.

“I saw my first Saints game in old Tulane Stadium, right about the time, Archie (Manning) had joined them. I had been an Ole Miss fan, and when he got drafted by the Saints, I became a Saints fan,” Yarborough said.

Keeping things in the family, the Saints now face Archie’s son, Peyton, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XXXXIV at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Feb. 7.

More Saints fans were equally enthused.

“Forever,” Karla Carter said on how long she has rooted for the black-and-gold-clad. Carter is a native of Fort Walton, Fla., but now works locally at Jacques’.

“We’re going to Miami. The Super Bowl,” exclaimed Saints fan Mike Woodrick.

“I’m real happy,” added his wife, Susan Woodrick.

At Ameristar, mostly Saints fans were in the audience, but two men from St. Paul, Minn., also were there, and they were yelling for the Vikings.

Jack Kueck wore a Viking No. 4 jersey in honor of Favre, who finished with 310 yards passing but threw two interceptions. The Vikings had five turnovers in all in the game.

“It’s been a great game,” Kueck said at the half with the score tied at 14. Kueck works for Westinghouse and is in town to work on a project at Grand Gulf Nuclear Project in Claiborne County.

“We try to get to as many Viking games as we can,” Kueck said.

Pete Boudreaux of Slidell, decked out in black-and-gold Mardi Gras attire, would have been inside the raucous Louisiana Superdome, but gave his tickets to his son.

“I was there last week for the (Arizona) Cardinals game. I’m a season ticket holder, but I have to work up here this week, so I gave them to my son and his stepmom,” he said.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com.