Tarxien Rainbows threw away a two-goal  lead as Zebbug Rangers hit two second-half goals and gain their first point of the season in a thrilling 3-3 draw at the National Stadium.

Tarxien were off to a flier and they surged ahead inside the opening minute. Triston Caruana profited from some poor positional play from the Zebbug rearguard to send a throughball towards Wesley who cooly slotted the ball past Rangers goalkeeper Jeffrey Farrugia.

Zebbug were struggling to contain the Rainbows’ swift attacking play and on 21 minutes Wesley fed the sprinting Alvaro whose firm drive finished just over.

Tarxien’s pressure yielded a second goal on 25 minutes and it was again their Brazilian forwards who made all the damage when Wesley fed Alvaro who burst into the area and hit a rasping drive past Farrugia.

Zebbug refused to lie down, though, and on 28 minutes they reopened the issue when Jacob Borg picked Carlo Monti who unleashed a firm volley that flew past a helpless Sean Cini.

Tarxien took just six second half minutes to restore their two goal lead when Wesley picked Triston Caruana who moved past Matthew Bartolo before hitting past Farrugia.

But Zebbug were back in it a minute later when Owen Bugeja was adjudged to have fouled Mucchardi just inside the area and from the resultant penalty Monti drilled the ball past Cini.

On 67 minutes Zammit withdrew Jacob Borg and roped in John Nwoba and the substitution proved a masterstroke as as a minute later Nwoba raced clear on the left before teeing up Britto who beat Cini with a firm drive.