Oozing defiance from the outset, Tarxien Rainbows did what no other team had managed to do in the first round of the 2013/14 championship as they consigned derby rivals Hibs to their first defeat of the season.

With 20 points separating the table-topping Paolites from the erstwhile stuttering Tarxien before their second-round derby yesterday, the Rainbows’ chances of eclipsing their rivals looked remote but they rolled up their sleeves and produced a gutsy performance to gain an unlikely victory that could kickstart their season.

They did it the hard way, weathering long spells of pressure and relying on counter-attacks with their Brazilian forwards and Miguel Ciantar roaring forward with aplomb when their team had possession and tracking back quickly when chasing the ball.

Ronallie’s first-half goal gave Tarxien a much-needed boost as Clive Mizzi’s men quelled wave after wave of attacks, especially in the final stages when the Paolites besieged their opponents.

Although Hibs were not at their best, especially in midfield where Jackson Lima and Bjorn Kristensen had little impact, they carved out enough chances to win the game handsomely but wayward finishing and the brilliance of Tarxien goalkeeper Nicky Vella proved to be their undoing.

With Marko Potezica and Andrew Agius serving suspension, Mizzi put the returning Manuel Caruana in front of defence with Luca Martinelli and Carlo Mamo manning the flanks.

The decision to field five at the back was aimed at negating the threat posed by the speedy Clayton Failla and Marcelo Dias on the wings.

Matthew Bartolo was drafted into the Hibs team as a replacement for defender Jonathan Pearson, suspended. Hibs coach Branko Nisevic favoured a 3-4-3 approach with Jean Paul Farrugia playing off Luis Edison and Dias on the right.

Tarxien nearly seized the lead on five minutes when Ciantar put his technical skills to good effect as he drifted infield from the right but his grounder ended just wide.

As if to demonstrate their attacking prowess, Hibs quickly transferred the ball forward with Edison bursting his way through but his volley lacked precision.

Undaunted by Hibs’ mounting pressure, the Rainbows rallied. The astute movement of their forward personnel, all good ball players, was making life a tad uneasy for the Paolites.

Tarxien would have grabbed the lead but for a superb save from Mario Muscat who leapt to his left to nudge Jorge’s free-kick over the bar.

Hibs breathed a sigh of relief but theirs was a temporary reprieve. Ciantar’s cross from the ensuing corner arced into the goalmouth and Ronallie evaded his markers to nod the ball past Muscat.

Moments later, another Tarxien raid had Hibs on the ropes as the ball was threaded through to Ronallie who looked to have been hauled down by Ryan Camilleri but referee Trustin Farrugia Cann saw nothing wrong.

A goal down, Hibs moved though the gears. They came close to an equaliser when Lima’s corner was met by Failla but his header was kept out by Vella.

The Tarxien goalkeeper frustrated Hibs again with another smart save from Marcelo Dias’s angled effort after the Brazilian had ghosted past the static Tarxien defenders to reach Failla’s crossfield pass.

Seven minutes from half-time, a mistake by Rodolfo Soares gifted an opening to Tarxien as Ronallie dispossessed his Brazilian compatriot and drove forward but Camilleri cut across from the left and managed to deflect the Tarxien striker’s shot away for a corner.

A fluid Hibs move unlocked the Tarxien defence as Edison combined strength with skill to weave his way through before guiding a through-ball to Farrugia who raced into the box but his grounder was marginally off target.

Hibs began the second half on the front foot but their efforts foundered on the solid Tarxien defence.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Edison did well to sprint into the box from the left but his low cross was intercepted by Vella.

On another occasion, the ball ping-ponged in the Tarxien area after Ryan Sammut had partially cleared Failla’s free-kick but Camilleri’s drive came off a defender.

Nisevic brought on Zoran Levnaic instead of Bartolo.

Cohen stooped to hit an acrobatic volley but his effort was deflected away for a corner. A menacing cross by Dias flashed against the base of the post on 65 minutes after Vella had been wrong-footed by Cohen’s attempt to head the ball.

As in the first half, Tarxien looked content to cede the initiative to Hibs and operate with counter-attacks and with 17 minutes remaining, they were denied a second goal by Muscat who pawed away Ronallie’s drive from an inviting position.

Despite their superior possession, Hibs could not break down Tarxien. On 82 minutes, Levnaic headed just wide from Failla’s corner.

The Paolites thought they had levelled when Edison, picked out by Lima, got in a shot that squirmed through Vella’s legs but the goalkeeper lunged backwards to stop the ball from crossing the line.

In stoppage time, Farrugia headed the ball into the net from Dias’s cross but the ‘goal’ was chalked off for offside.

Hibernians 0
Tarxien Rainbows 1
Ronallie 12;

Hibernians
M. Muscat-7, R. Camilleri-6.5, R. Soares-5.5, M. Dias-6.5, A. Cohen-6, B. Kristensen-5, C. Failla-5, J. Lima-5, Luis Edison-6, M. Bartolo-5.5 (62 Z. Levnaic-5.5), J.P. Farrugia-5.

Tarxien Rainbows
N. Vella-8, C. Mamo-6.5, M. Caruana-6 (80 S. Sadowski), F. Lopez-6.5, L. Martinelli-6.5, Ronallie-7, M. Ciantar-7 (90 K. Pulo), Everton-6.5 (90 N. Vella), R. Sammut-7, J. Mifsud-7, Jorge-6.5.

Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.

Yellow cards: Lopez; Ronallie; Mamo; Edison; Martinelli.

BOV player of the match: Nicky Vella (Tarxien).

Standings