Birkirkara 0
NK Maribor 3

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A sprightly start by Birkirkara, coupled with NK Maribor's early struggles to cope with the stifling heat at the Hibs Ground, had briefly raised hope of a positive result by the local team in yesterday's first leg of the Intertoto Cup first round match.

Home optimism began to fade towards the end of the first half though as a result of Maribor finding their passing range and Birkirkara's failure to build on their encouraging opening stages.

Two goals either side of half-time set the visitors en route to a comfortable 3-0 victory which all but seals their place in the second round of a competition that brought them success last year, what with the Slovenians qualifying for the UEFA Cup as one of the victors of the Intertoto Cup.

With no foreign players at his disposal, coach John Buttigieg named an all-Maltese line-up that featured a clutch of players who have returned to the club after loan spells elsewhere.

The senior members of Birkir-kara's squad, the likes of Michael Galea, George Mallia, Kenneth Scicluna, Roderick Briffa, Lino Galea and Jonathan Holland were joined by keeper Bernard Paris, Thomas Paris and Alan Tabone.

Midfielder Adrian Ciantar was unavailable, Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza is still recovering from a foot operation and the four 'rejects', Etienne Barbara, William Camenzuli, Mark Anthony Bonnici and Clint Micallef, were omitted from the 18-man squad altogether.

Birkirkara might have seized the lead after seven minutes when Briffa whipped in a corner from the right and Scicluna's powerful header was parried by the Maribor goalkeeper Marko Pridigar.

Despite NK Maribor being the clear favourites to ease their way into the second round, the Maltese side proved more than a match for their opponents in the early exchanges.

Maribor were clearly finding it hard to impose themselves in scorching temperatures and took the whole of 21 minutes to create their first noteworthy chance.

Midfielder David Seruga Toma-zic found himself in space down the inside-left channel but his effort was pushed away for a corner by the alert Paris.

On the half-hour mark, Paris darted out of goal to block the advancing Dimitar Makriev who had been released by Tomazic.

With temperatures approaching 39° Celsius, the players as well as Azeri referee Fariz Yusifov, took time to replenish their fluids whenever there was a stoppage during the game.

Eight minutes from half-time, Birkirkara survived a scare when Martin Pregelj served the un-marked Damir Pekic and the latter supplied a low cross from the right towards Makriev. The Maribor forward was unchallenged in the six-yard box but failed to make contact with the ball.

Birkirkara failed to discern the alarm signals and with their defence suddenly looking vulnerable, Maribor duly capitalised to seize the lead.

With five minutes to go before half-time, Marko Popovic ran past the Birkirkara defenders on the right before slipping the ball to Makriev who tapped it home.

Maribor threatened to punish Birkirkara's decline with more goals. Another fast attack saw Makriev taking the ball past Paris but his effort from an angled position was headed away by Sammut.

Moments later, Makriev hit wide with only the keeper to beat.

Less than two minutes into the second half, Maribor doubled their lead, Makriev again poking the ball home from routine distance after Pekic's assist found the Birkirkara defence in a state of confusion.

It was all Maribor now, Paris denying the Slovenians a third goal when blocking the goalbound Pekic who had been sent clear by Makriev.

The second half was 20 minutes old when Birkirkara produced a glimmer of a chance, Michael Galea volleying wide after receiving from Mallia, one of Birkirkara's best performers yesterday.

Paris did well to keep out a header by Miral Samardzic following a Tomazic delivery.

Fifteen minutes from time, Birkirkara should have reduced the arrears when Martin Anastasi, a second-half replacement for Sammut, guided the ball to Tabone on the edge of the box. The former Tarxien striker applied a body feint to breeze past his marker but fired wide of the far post.

At the other end, Pekic looked certain to add to Maribor's lead when, having surged past Bir-kirkara's offside trap, closed in on goal but his diagonal effort bounced inches wide of the far post.

A fine interchange between Mallia and Michael Galea unhinged the Maribor defence as the Malta midfielder powered his way into the box but Fabijan Cipot nipped in to deflect the ball away for a corner.

After missing another gilt-edged chance to put his name on the scoresheet when dipping the ball wide, the influential Pekic finally hit the jackpot three minutes from time.

Running on to a throughpass from substitute Dejan Mezga, Pekic flashed past the Birkirkara defence, turned round Paris and burried the ball home to give his side a 3-0 win.

Birkirkara: B. Paris, T. Paris ('83 A. Spiteri), L. Galea, R. Sammut ('63 M. Anastasi), K. Scicluna, R. Briffa, G. Mallia, J. Holland, J. Zerafa ('71 R. Mifsud), A. Tabone, M. Galea.

NK Maribor: M. Pridigar, V. Lungu, F. Cipot, M. Pregelj ('42 D. Mezga), D.I. Makriev ('65 A. Diarra), D. Pekic, D.S. Tomazic, A. Pecnik, M. Samard-zic, M. Popovic, R. Mihelic ('57 A. Mujakovic).

Referee: F. Yusifov (Azerbaijan).

Scorers: Makriev 40, 47; Pekic 87.

Yellow cards: Pregelj; Holland.