Sliema W: V. Szentpeteri, J. Mifsud, S. Souare, M. Scerri, M. Ciantar (N. Turner), C. Gatt Baldacchino, J. Lima Sequeira, O. Obifuele, J. Mintoff, B. Muscat (J. Paris), C. Failla

Birkirkara: E. Lovizon (M. Bartolo), S. Zahra, R. Harding, R. Muscat, A. Decesare, T. Vella (R. Scicluna), T. Cilia (T. Paris), E. Lattes, J. Zerafa, M. Galea, A. Buhagiar

Referee: M. Borg Asst.refs: K. Borg, W. Debattitsa 4th official: C. Lautier

Scorers: J. Lima, M Galea (2) 1 pen, T. Vella, E. Lattes

Yellow cards: J. Lima, S. Souare, S. Zerafa, M. Scerri

Red card: J. Mintoff

Player of the match: Trevor Cilia (Birkirkara)

TMI top three: 1. T. Cilia 2. E. Lattes 3. M. Galea

An understrength Birkirkara side started their title defence in style, routing Sliema Wanderers with yet another display of offensive and flowing football yesterday that left the Wanderers in tatters.

Sliema looked the better team for the first half hour, but when they failed to add to their early lead and conceded a penalty, they allowed their opponents to take the match away from them. All the Wanderers’ early endeavour fizzled away as Birkirkara ended up comfortable winners.

Birkirkara had a patched-up look when heavily depleted with the forced absences of key players Vukanac, Bajada, Fenech, Borg and Pulo, after being slapped with suspensions.

New signings Ryan Harding, Simon Zahra, Andrew Decesare at the back, together with Terence Vella and Lattes in attack, were all given a start. Rowen Muscat was also back after missing the Super Cup final against Valletta last month.

To make things worse for the Stripes, their goalkeeper Lovizon stayed only four minutes on the pitch and had to be stretchered off with a suspected fractured hand after colliding with Ciantar inside the area.

Sliema also had some notable absentees like Alex Muscat, Steve Bezzina and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza. Goalkeeper Szentpeteri, central defender Souare from Ivory Coast, Brazilian midfielder Jackson Lima and Nigerian Obifuele in attack, were their four new foreigners on show, with the returning Beppe Muscat and Miguel Ciantar.

And they could not have had a better start. Already in the opening minutes, Cilia cleared off the line a Mifsud goalbound header following a Failla corner. On 12 minutes they even forged ahead. On a defensive clearance, Obifuele passed the ball to Jackson Lima who advanced on the left and beat reserve keeper Bartolo with a left foot shot at the near post.

Birkirkara were still in disarray when Ciantar had his shot blocked into a corner after a goalmouth scramble in the Stripes’ area.

But gradually, the champions started to find rhythm and pace. A penalty, awarded on 27 minutes for Souare’s handling on Cilia’s cross, and ably tucked away by Michael Galea, put them on track as they rallied and took the bit between their teeth. Past the half hour Galea played the ball in open space for Cilia to advance. Keeper Szentpeteri repelled his shot and then again turned into a corner Buhagiar’s second effort.

On 36 minutes, the Hungarian keeper was rendered helpless on a Lattes drilling free kick which he could only block and Michael Galea shot in the loose ball from close range.

Birkirkara were all over their opponents. On 42 minutes Lattes placed his free kick inches wide after Vella was stopped by Scerri.

And deep into five minutes of added time, the Sliema keeper failed to cut Lattes’ cross from the left, allowing Terence Vella to score his first league goal for Birkirkara, and give his side a two-goal lead by halftime.

Sliema needed to show more urgency after the restart, but hardly ever found the required cohesion and Birkirkara could control the proceedings. The closest they went was on 52 minutes when an Obifuele header was cleared off the line by Cilia.

Birkirkara threatened when Galea played a through ball to Lattes, whose effort missed the target by a whisker and a Vella shot was blocked by keeper Szentpeteri.

Vella failed to conclude Cilia’s cross in front of goal on 73 minutes.

Sliema put in James Paris and Noel Turner as late substitutes but to little avail.

They were down to ten men four minutes from time when John Mintoff was sent off for extending his legs towards Decesare.

Their misery was complete when Birkirkara even scored a fourth goal in added time. Sliema’s static rearguard was caught cold on a through ball towards Emiliano Lattes, who beat the hesitant keeper with a low drive.