Futsal national team defeats Northern Ireland after narrow defeat

The Malta Futsal national team,led by Vic Hermans, defeated Northern Ireland 4-1 in a friendly match at the National Sports School on Saturday after losing 1-2 in a first friendly match on Friday.

The two friendlies against Northern Ireland followed two another two friendly matches against the Netherlands last month. Malta is now set to play another two friendly matches against Northern Ireland in January away from home.

Photo: Copyright © domenic aquilina

In the first match on Friday, captain Adam Barr gave Northern Ireland an eighth-minute lead but nine minutes into the second half, Lee Grech levelled matters. However Craig Taylor made it 2-1 with five minutes remaining.

MALTA Stephen Vella, Mark Zammit, Carl Azzopardi, Lee Grech, Rennie Tanti.
Substitutes: Clint Mifsud, Melvin Borg, Aidan Micallef, Dylan Musu, Giancarlo Sammut, Andre Ciancio, Matthew Attard, Andy Mangion, Kurt Bartolo.  

NORTHERN IRELAND Matthew McErlain, Adam Barr, Alex Lalor, Danny Stapleton, Conor Glenholmes.
Substitutes: Philip Irvine, Scott Gunn, Ciaran Donaghy, John Gibson, Craig Taylor, Jack Magee, Jordan Wilson, Jonathan Pierce, Darius Roohl.

Referee 1: Omar Rafiq (Norway)
Referee 2: Igor Puzovic (Bosnia)
Referee 3: David Balzan (Malta)

On Saturday, Andy Mangion opened the scoring inside the first four minutes with Rennie Tanti and Matthew Attard adding two more goals to give the hosts a 3-0 advantage. Northern Ireland managed to pull one back but Mangion’s second goal sealed victory for Malta, the first in Hermans’s second spell as national futsal coach.

MALTA Clint Mifsud, Mark Zammit, Carl Azzopardi, Andrè Ciancio, Lee Grech. Substitutes: Stephen Vella, Melvin Borg, Aidan Micallef, Dylan Musu, Giancarlo Sammut, Matthew Attard, Andy Mangion, Rennie Tanti, Kurt Bartolo.

NORTHERN IRELAND Matthew McErlain, Adam Barr, Alex Lalor, Danny Stapleton, Conor Glenholmes. Substitutes: Philip Irvine, Scott Gunn, Ciaran Donaghy, John Gibson, Craig Taylor, Jack Magee, Jordan Wilson, Jonathan Pierce, Darius Roohl.

Referee 1: Igor Puzovic (Bosnia)
Referee 2: Omar Rafiq (Norway)
Referee 3: Pierre Bonnici (Malta).