After an absence of over 35 years from Malta’s top-flight, Senglea Athletic graced the Premier League’s field when they shared four goals with FA Trophy finalists Sliema Wanderers at the Centenary Stadium.

Facing one of the most established sides in the Premier League division, the odds were heavily stacked against the Cottonera outfit who took the field with a completely revamped team from the one that won the Division One championship last season.

Steve D’Amato’s men showed no signs of nervousness as they managed to take the lead through Nicolas Palmieri midway through the first half.

The Wanderers soon rediscovered their touch and two-quick fire goals in the space of three minutes scored by Gabriel Aquilina and John Mintoff seemed to have turned the tide in the Wanderers favour.

However, Senglea showed a great dose of resilience and a fine solo goal from Matias Garcia ensured that the Yellow Reds would return home with a point in the bag.

D’Amato was delighted with the effort put in by his players and said that the great commitment showed by the players was a key factor in opening their league campaign on a positive note.

 “I am really pleased with the team’s performance,” D’Amato told Times of Malta.

“We were up against a very strong Sliema side but the players have worked really hard throughout the 90 minutes and the point gained was a fair reward to the great commitment they showed.

“In the first half, I felt that Sliema were the better side and they fully deserved to go into the interval in front.

“But in the second half I effected a number of tactical adjustments and the team looked much more organised and I think that we fully deserved to take a draw.

“Hopefully, this result will inject confidence in the players and we can continue to build on that in our next match.”

Senglea have been one of the busiest teams in this summer’s transfer market as the club looked to give D’Amato a blend of youth and experience that can hold their own in the top-flight.

The early indications already looked promising with new signings Nicola Palmieri, who was on the books of Serie B side Frosinone, and former Belgrano midfielder Matias Garcia already proved decisive against the Wanderers.

The former Ħamrun Spartans coach was also buoyed by the performance of veteran defenders Jonathan Bondin and Ian Azzopardi, who last season were on the books of Gżira United, and Italian Antonio Terracciano.

While upfront Ivan Paz again gave a reminder of his talent that made him stand out for St Andrews last season.

D’Amato said that he was pleased with the club’s transfer business so far but he has not closed the door on bring in more players in his squad.

 “We are happy with what we have managed to acquire during this summer as all the players that arrived have shown that they have adapted well to their new environs and are giving a very good contribution,” D’Amato said.

“The transfer market is not over yet for us as we are hoping to conclude some deals in the coming days.

“Yet, the idea of bringing new players is to consolidate what we already have to ensure we have enough strength-in-depth and versatility to be able to face tough sides week in week out.”

Next up for Senglea is another difficult match against Valletta.

The Citizens battled more than expected to see off Mosta but D’Amato said that they will try and hold their own against Valletta.

“Valletta are one of the main candidates for the league title this season, so we know we have a very difficult match on our hands,” he said.

“But I have a lot of faith in my players to produce another solid performance.

“I hope that our fans will again be behind us against Valletta as their support is vital for us to reach our objectives this season.”