The Malta Under-19 team concluded their commitments in the Roma Caput Mundi Tournament on a disappointing note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to the England Colleges FA selection in their final Group B game on Thursday.
A bright first-half display raised the Maltese boys’ hopes of gaining their first positive result in this eight-team tournament as, on 30 minutes, Kurt Shaw cancelled out Charlie Coppola’s early opener for the English side.
The first half ended 1-1 but England Colleges made an important step towards victory when Matt Ridley’s long-range effort soared into the net after 64 minutes.
A goal from Sorba Thomas, eight minutes from the end, sealed England Colleges’ first victory after two successive defeats, and left the Malta U-19 team, led by coach Wayne Attard, without a point to show for their efforts.
Attard’s side produced some commendable performances during this tournament, staged in the Lazio region, but their efforts were undone by soft goals.
The top-of-the-table clash between Italy’s Lega Nazionale Dilettanti selection and the Albania Under-19 team went into penalties after a goalless draw.
Albania won the shoot-out and will meet Romania, the Group A winners, in the final on Friday.
MALTA U-19 FORMATION
Duncan Formosa (27′ Rashed Al Tumi); Gary Camilleri (75′ Mark Desira); Romario Camilleri; Dejan Debono; Omar Elouni; Neil Frendo; Jan Busuttil (75′ Mattia Zarb); Juergen Grech; Zachary Grech; Kurt Shaw (73′ Mark Fenech); Andrei Spiteri (56′ Kyle Mifsud).