The Malta Women’s U19 National Team suffered a second successive defeat on Sunday after being beaten 6-0 by Bulgaria.
Bulgaria made their intentions clear by the start of the match and they opened the scoring on the 11th minute when after receiving the ball from an inviting cross, Mariela Petrova was at the right place at the right time and from close range she had her fine header ending at the back of the net.
They continued on the offensive and by the half-hour mark Raya Boneva from under the post hit home but she was judged from Turkish referee Gamza Durmus to have made a foul in the action which led to this goal, and hence the goal was disallowed. Bulgaria continued to control the play and only two minutes later, the author of the first goal Mariela Petrova had her low shot from close range ending at the back of the net, but referee Durmus judged that she was in offside position, and hence the goal was once again disallowed.
But Bulgaria were not to be denied on the 39th minute when after receiving from an inviting cross, Katerina-Maria Ravnachka fired a shot from a central position which gave Malta goalkeeper Maya Muscat no chance, so as to double the score for the visitors.
Bulgaria were awarded a penalty on the 52th minute when Petrova had her fine shot from close range saved partially by Muscat, and from the rebound, Ravnachka had her shot handled inside the penalty area by a Malta player. The same Ravnachka took responsibility from the penalty spot and she didn’t forgive as with a low shot, she sent Muscat the opposite way, hence registering a brace.
They scored a fourth goal on the 70th minute when Monika Baliova fired a low shot from an ideal position into the back of the net.
Bulgaria sealed the issue with a fifth goal seven minutes later when Mariela Petrova fired a fierce shot from distance which gave Muscat no chance, and hence such as Ravnachka, registered a brace.
They missed a huge opportunity to score a sixth goal on the 84th minute when Petrova had almost registered a personal hat-trick, when with a low shot from under the post saw Muscat save brilliantly from the ground, to save her team. But they weren’t to be denied three minutes later so as to seal the issue when sub Gergana Halyanova had her shot from close range which ended at the back of the net.
Bulgaria continued administering their comfortable lead throughout the end of the match.
The Malta WU19 National Team’s next encounter will see them take on Kazakhstan on Wednesday 15th April at 11:00hrs.
Bulgaria
1 Ognyana Burgodzhieva, 2 Elena Kamenova, 3 Yordanka Parnarova, 7 Monika Baliova, 9 Mariela Petrova, 10 Raya Boneva (8 Silyana Mihaleva, 46′), 11 Katerina-Maria Ravnachka (18 Michelle Muddiman, 77′), 13 Teodora Mitova (5 Gergana Halyanova, 60′), 14 Andrea Boyadzhieva, 19 Dalia Videnova (15 Nikol Mitsskovska, 71′), 20 Hristina Milcheva (6 Vesela Kalinova, 46′)
Coach: Angel Slavov
Malta
12 Maya Muscat, 4 Amber Galea, 5 Francesca Bartolo, 6 Ema Micallef, 7 Lisa Calleja, 8 Caitlyn Elziabath Turner, 9 Suzanne Farrugia Sacco, 11 Thais Muscat (2 Nilayza Attard, 60′), 17 Lara May Azzopardi, 19 Stella Francalanza (21 Somaya Muscat, 83′), 20 Jamsine Camilleri (18 Shana Farrugia, 60′)
Coach: Melania Bajada
Refeeee: Gamze Durmus (Türkiye)