Sliema succumbed to an embarassing defeat against bottom team Mqabba, undone by a Marcelo Pereira hat-trick to earn his side the first league win of the season.

Mqabba's first half performance yesterday indicated that they looked likely to improve on a dismal record of five defeats.

The Wanderers, on the contrary, always looked edgy and slipshod as Mqabba poured on the embarrassment.

Only when Sliema staged a remarkable second half comeback and even drew level, Mqabba looked in danger of collapsing to another defeat.

Mqabba's lead was more than they deserved. Despite having also their fair share of injury problems in the form of Busuttil, Silva and Muscat, the newcomers were off to an unexpected explosive start, ripping apart Sliema's defence at will, with Briffa causing most of the damage with his forays and crosses on the right flank. The composed touches of young Zarb were also to be admired.

After six minutes, Briffa played the ball forward to Bonnici on the right to whip a testing cross for Marcelo Pereira to control, shrug off Said's challenge, before slotting the ball below keeper Bonello's body.

With Sliema adamant to make a telling reaction, Mqabba continued to dominate. On 12 minutes Zarb thumped his powerful shot against the foot of the post with the keeper stranded.

Sliema's first shot on goal came midway through the half from Barbara, with keeper Calleja making a comfortable save.

Madzar twice went close with tame efforts and Barbara's shot on the run went just over.

On 36 minutes, with Mqabba's fury abating, Calleja blocked Anonam's grounder before Sliema coach Farrugia effected a double substitution, with Milovanovic and Ian Ciantar replacing the innocuous Madzar and Anonam, with Muscat taking a more advanced role on the right flank. But that had little effect on the Wanderers' performance. With halftime looming, Zarb won possession against the erratic Pace in midfield, put Pereira clear to race upfield past Ciantar, round the keeper and steer the ball into an unattended goal.

But the interval seemed to transform Sliema and rob Mqabba of their attacking flair especially after conceding a goal hardly two minutes after the restart. Milovanovic's low cross from the byeline on the left found Etienne Barbara unmarked at the far post to beat the goalkeeper with a tap in.

Buoyed by that goal, Sliema took the bit between their teeth as Mqabba were unable to keep up the first half tempo and were being outplayed in midfield. With Bajada gradually finding his touch after a slow start, and spraying passes all over the pitch, Mqabba's rearguard was looking uncomfortable as their early confidence started to drain.

On 70 minutes Sliema restored equilibrium. Alex Muscat ran in from the right on Barbara's pass and beat keeper Calleja with a rasping rising shot.

Sliema kept up the pressure, providing Mqabba, who still looked menacing on the break, with plenty of problems.

Five minutes from time Azzopardi's blistering direct free-kick deserved better fat as the ball thumped against the crossbar and Bajada skied the rebound.

With only a minute of normal time remaining, the irrepressible Pereira settled the issue for Mqabba as he chased Galea's long ball forward, went past Pace and beat keeper Bonello with another confident strike, sending all the Mqabba clan in raptures, as they still savour their first Premier League win this morning.