Sliema Wanderers secured their place in the Jubilee Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 3-2 victory over Birkirkara, in a match largely dominated by the Blues, who were in total control for most of the encounter.

The Wanderers made their intentions clear from the outset, dictating play and racing into a three-goal lead by half-time, leaving the Stripes struggling to keep pace.

Sliema broke the deadlock after just 13 minutes, when Myles Beerman surged down the left flank and delivered a precise low cross that was neatly slotted home by Sulahmana Bah.

Birkirkara attempted to respond but lacked the attacking sharpness needed to trouble the Sliema defence. The Wanderers, meanwhile, continued to threaten, with Bah again at the centre of the action. On 31 minutes, the forward powered through the defence before laying the ball off to Roko Prša, who fired narrowly wide.

Four minutes later, Sliema doubled their lead. Steve Pisani floated in a cross to Bah, who rose unmarked inside the box to head beyond goalkeeper Matthew Grech.

The Blues’ dominance continued, and five minutes before the break, they were awarded a penalty after referee Ezekiel Barbara, following a Football Video Support (FVS) review, ruled that Luis Cordova had handled the ball inside the area. Henrique Murillo made no mistake from the spot, sending Grech the wrong way to make it 3-0.

Birkirkara finally created a real chance early in the second half, when Abubakar Ansah saw his low strike flash just wide of the post. At the other end, Sliema nearly extended their lead on 65 minutes as Rok Plut rounded the goalkeeper but failed to hit the target from a tight angle.

However, the Wanderers’ intensity faded late on, allowing the Stripes to pull two goals back in the dying moments. Kaiden Fenech reduced the deficit on 89 minutes, before Kemar Reid added another deep into stoppage time.

Despite the late scare, Sliema comfortably held on to claim the win and advance to the next round — a result that underlines their growing confidence and strong form in cup competition.