Pereira's treble sinks indifferent Blues

Mqabba 3
Sliema Wanderers 2

Mqabba is famed for its residents' fireworks expertise. Football-wise, Mqabba are at best a modest lot but their team yesterday put up a fiery display to cause arguably the biggest upset of the 2007-08 season so far when upstaging Sliema Wanderers 3-2.

Without a point after five outings, Mqabba's chances of breaking their duck in this David vs Goliath skirmish had been considered as good as nil but what Joey Falzon's team lacked in resources, they made up for with their determination, tactical discipline and, yes, effective counter-attacking football.

As for Sliema, the least said the better, so pathetic was their performance, especially in the first half.

Mqabba made full profit as they took a two-goal lead thanks to Brazilian Marcelo Pereira and though Sliema hit back to draw level, the Premier League newcomers had the final say with a late Pereira winner.

Sliema coach Ray Farrugia had been compelled to make two changes from the starting XI who turned defeat into victory against Hibs last Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Henry Bonello deputised for Murphy Akanji, who started on the bench due to a slight hamstring injury. Malta U-21 winger Matthew Bartolo took the place of Ivan Woods, the latter out with a foot injury.

Within two minutes of the referee's initial whistle, Marlon Briffa was making headway down the right before crossing for Pereira whose volley ended wide of the far post.

As Sliema failed to heed the alarm signals, Mqabba duly forged ahead after seven minutes. Another cross from the right, this time from Mauro Bonnici, dropped in the centre of the box where Pereira shrugged off Brian Said's timid challenge and flicked the ball over Bonello.

Galvanised by their early breakthrough, Mqabba maintained their sprightly start. Dylan Zarb, who had a free-kick deflected away for a corner, came close to dishing out further punishment on the lethargic Blues but his swerving shot cannoned off the foot of the post.

It was not before the 15th minute that Sliema created a glimmer of a scoring chance but Orosco Anonam's diagonal shot was parried by Kris Calleja.

A corner by Roderick Bajada threatened to unhinge the Mqabba defence but Falzon's men showed commendable resilience as they stopped successive efforts from Anonam and Ian Azzopardi.

At last, Sliema were now driving forward with some intent, Barbara missing what looked like a promising opening when heading Anonam's cross across the six-yard box.

In a quick, flowing counter-attack, Mqabba almost doubled their lead as Zarb and Pereira exchanged accurate passes to send the latter through but his final effort flew wide.

Forwards Barbara and Aleksandar Madzar were having a torrid time in the game's opening half hour. On one occasion, Anonam did well to win a header inside the box but as the ball arced towards Madzar, the Montenegrin lofted it wide.

On the half-hour mark, Barbara produced a decent move but his scorcher skimmed the crossbar.

The game was only 36 minutes old when Farrugia effected a double substitution, introducing Nesko Milovanovic and Ian Ciantar for Anonam and Madzar respectively.

Unperturbed by Sliema's manoeuvres, Mqabba stuck to their counter-attacking game and dealt their misfiring opponents another blow three minutes from half-time.

Capitalising on a mistake by Sharlon Pace, Zarb delivered a through-ball to Pereira who outpaced Ciantar before firing past Bonello.

In the dying minutes of the first half, Sliema made a belated reaction but they could not find a way past the stubborn Mqabba defence. Moments after heading wide of the near post, Barbara struck a dangerous shot which hit the post and Roderick Briffa blasted high from close in.

Two goals down and facing the grim prospect of a humiliating defeat, Sliema needed to step up their game in the second half.

After Muscat skewed his shot high and wide, Sliema reduced the deficit barely a minute later.

Cutting in from the left, Milovanovic turned past his marker before delivering a low cross to Barbara who tapped the ball home.

Calleja, a consistently reliable performer for Mqabba this season, then dived to his right to save Briffa's long-range attempt.

Having awoken from their first-half torpor, Sliema were now dictating proceedings but Mqabba remained dangerous on the break.

Twenty minutes into the second half, a header by Azzopardi was just deflected past the post and, from the ensuing corner, again taken by Bajada, Briffa's downward header was blocked by Calleja.

Sliema continued to attack, Briffa having a dangerous effort blocked while Milovanovic was foiled by a slight deflection as his piledriver touched the bar.

A goal was in the air and it duly came 20 minutes from time, Muscat guiding the ball past Calleja from the edge of the box after being put through by Barbara.

Sliema persisted in attack, Barbara sending in a teasing low cross which rolled across the face of goal but found no takers.

Ten minutes from time, Mqabba almost put their noses back in front but Briffa's grounder was stopped by Bonello.

Azzopardi was unlucky not to score his first goal in a Sliema shirt when his well-hit free-kick rattled the bar.

The drama was far from over though as, on the stroke of time, Mqabba went 3-2 up. Latching onto a long pass from substitute Lee Galea, Pereira stormed past Ciantar and goalkeeper Bonello before driving home the winner.

Mqabba: K. Calleja-7, M. Bonnici-6 ('71 L. Galea-6), I. Nogueira-6.5, M.A. Psaila-6.5, M. Briffa-7, M. Pereira-8, C. Calleja-7, M. Cocks-6, C. Gatt Baldacchino-6.5, J. Mintoff-6 ('76 J.P. Muscat), D. Zarb-7.5 ('90 E. Borg).

Sliema: H. Bonello-5, A. Muscat-6 ('85 M. Scerri), I. Azzopardi-5, B. Said-5, R. Bajada-6.5, M. Bartolo-5.5, O. Anonam-5 ('36 N. Milovanovic-6), A. Madzar-4 ('36 I. Ciantar-5), R. Briffa-5.5, S. Pace-5, E. Barbara-6.5.

Referee: Alan Mario Sant.

Scorers: Pereira 7, 43, 90; Barbara 47; Muscat 70.

Yellow cards: Zarb; Bajada; Mintoff; C. Calleja; Milovanovic; K. Calleja.

BoV Player of the match: Marcelo Pereira (Mqabba).