The Rainbows looked home and dry after surging into a two-goal lead inside the opening 33 minutes with the opponents going down to 10 men a but they ended up on the losing side after being overwhelmed Lija Athletic’s spirited second half performance.

Early on, Lija, though, were in for an unexpected goal. They were enjoying more possession, were once caught wide at the back as Artur Benes ran on the right flank before he confidently looped the ball over Luke Bonnici, the Lija goalkeeper. His drive came off the woodwork, Ryan Darmanin reacted quickest to rebound as he headed the ball into an empty net.

Their desperation increased when, a minute later, Erjon Beu collected his second booking for illegally halted Eduard Calin’s progress, though there was another player seemingly in a position to cover.

Lija’s vulnerability at the back was further exposed past the half hour mark. Darmanin had to exercise his neck muscles to reach Sean Cipriott’s corner. His effort was somehow smothered away by Bonnici, the rebound fell to Godwin McKay who buried the ball behind the goalkeeper.

Lija were handed a life line, four minutes into the second half. Another measured corned by Schembri reached Patrick Borg whose firm header finished into the net.

The Premier League newcomers plucked up the courage. Schembri sent Raphael Kooh Sohna away on the left before hitting a firm drive which crashed against the foot of the post. The rebound fell favourably to the Cameroon striker who coolly slotted a shot between the legs of a diving Christian Cassar to spark wild celebrations from Joseph Galea on the touchline.

Lija poured forward in search of a winner and did so through Kooh Sohna at death. A ball whipped into the Tarxien penalty area was met early by the striker who left Cassar with little chance of saving his powerful header.