Sliema Wanderers were locked in a fierce scramble for a place in the Championship Pool when Mark Marlow took charge of the team in late January.

At the time, the club's decision to replace Stephen Azzopardi, a highly-rated coach who has won several honours in domestic football, with Marlow, a novice in the Premier League, was seen as a massive gamble.

Two months on, scepticism about Marlow's appointment has dissipated as under his guidance, Sliema have not only secured a place in the Championship Pool, they have climbed to the third in the table, in the process fuelling talk of a last-gasp tilt at the Premier League title.

Last Friday, Sliema served up further proof of their resilience as they netted a stoppage-time winner in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Hibs that extended their winning run to three matches.

"The team's performances have been very satisfactory in the past few weeks," Marlow told The Times. "We have now taken maximum points from our last three matches. I'm very pleased with the way the team reacted to our defeat to Birkirkara in the first Championship Pool match.

"I believe we didn't deserve to finish empty-handed against Birkirkara but luck was not on our side in that game. We have moved on and our showing against Valletta underlined the team's progress.

"After our win against Valletta, I was upbeat about our chances of beating Hibs. Our task became somewhat more complicated when Hibs took the lead but we produced a strong comeback to overturn the deficit."

Marlow's towering impact on the Wanderers belies his lack of experience at Premier League level. After cutting his coaching teeth with the Malta FA's youth sector, Marlow got his first job at club level last summer when he took over Msida St Joseph.

Msida St Joseph were officially a Division One club when Marlow took up the reins of the team but the Saints were reinstated to the Premier League following Vittoriosa Stars' demotion for match-fixing.

Despite their evident limitations, Msida recorded some positive results under Marlow, including a goalless draw with Valletta, but he stepped down from his post in the first week of January.

Less than three weeks after his Msida exit, Marlow was installed as coach of the erstwhile misfiring Sliema who were in danger of missing out on a top-six spot.

"Taking charge of an underperforming Sliema team represented a big risk as this move could make or break my career," Marlow said.

"I'm still 38 and before this opportunity came along, my first and only experience as a Premier League coach had been with Msida.

"I have to say that I learned a lot during my short spell with Msida and my experience as a player has helped me a lot. I accepted the offer to become Sliema coach because I was confident that, with the squad they had, we could turn things round.

"The overall quality of the Sliema squad was the main reason I took this challenge. I knew that the players had the talent and knowhow to respond positively to my coaching methods and philosophy. Sliema also have an excellent set-up and the president and committee have been working very hard to reinforce the squad with the aim of challenging for the top honours.

"The opportunity to coach one of the most glorious clubs in Maltese football was too good to turn down."

Marlow didn't take long to stamp his mark on Sliema as the team won three and drew one in their first four league outings under the new mentor to seal their qualification to the Championship Pool.

Lack of confidence was at the root of Sliema's spluttering form in the first five months of the season, according to Marlow.

"Morale was down and the players were low on confidence," Marlow said. "Some players had lost their self-belief. Sliema boast some of the country's leading lights but these were not showing their true worth.

"I encouraged my players to believe more in themselves and not to be afraid to express themselves. This had an immediate positive effect on the team's performances as the players quickly regained faith in their abilities.

"It's thanks to the players' efforts that Sliema are now fighting for higher objectives."

Amid Sliema's toils to achieve some consistency in the first half of the season, Valletta and Birkirkara looked set for a two-horse title duel but the Blues are back in the hunt thanks to their winning streak of late.

Sliema currently have 24 points, six behind leaders Birkirkara and five adrift of Valletta, but with six games remaining, the title race is still very much open.

Mindful not to increase the pressure on his charges, Marlow struck a cautious note. "We're still a bit far from the leading duo in terms of points," Marlow said. "If we win our next match against Qormi, we will get closer to second place because Valletta and Birkirkara will be involved in a direct clash.

"Our main target is to qualify for Europe but we're also aiming to finish as high as we can in the league. Second is better than third and if there's a chance to fight for the title, we will do our best to take it. But, we are keeping our feet on the ground because there's still a long way to go."

In light of Sliema's transformation from underachievers to top-three contenders, it seems safe to assume that Marlow will be offered a new deal at the end of the season.

"I'm positive about extending my contract with Sliema," Marlow said. "I have already spoken to the president (Steve Abela) and things look good."