Malta had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Gibraltar in match day 3 of the UEFA Nations League Group D1 in front of 4090 spectators at the National Stadium on Thursday.
After the win over Andorra away from home, Malta was aiming for a second win and despite creating countless goal opportunities especially during the first half, Gibraltar soon started to gain confidence. The boys in red managed to take the lead early in the second half but the visitors levelled matters and late in the game, it was the upright which denied Malta the winning goal.
Photos courtesy of Malta FA
Malta now leads the way with four points, followed by Gibraltar on two and Andorra on one. Malta faces Andorra in another match on Sunday.
Malta coach Emilio De Leo opted for two changes from the team which defeated Andorra in the opening match as Juan Corbalan and Joseph Mbong were preferred to Zach Muscat and Paul Mbong.
Henry Bonello started in goal with Corbalan, Kurt Shaw, Enrico Pepe and Ryan Camenzuli at the back, Matthew Guillaumier and Alexander Satariano in midfield with Mbong, Teddy Teuma and Ilyas Chouaref supporting Irvin Cardona.
Malta was completely in control in the opening minutes and on 9 minutes, Ilyas Chouaref served Irvin Cardona who controlled before hitting just wide and five minutes later, Cardona served Teddy Teuma whose low shot was blocked on the goal line by a defender. A cross shot from the left by Alexander Satariano was parried by goalkeeper Jaylan Hankins on 16 minutes.
Teddy Teuma then hit just over the bar with a free kick on 24 minutes and a minute later, Chouaref served Camenzuli on the left with the latter’s close-range effort blocked by the goalkeeper. A shot by Joseph Mbong from outside the area was neutralised by Hankins.
In a swift counter-break for Malta, Teuma served Choauref on the left and the latter rounded a defender but his conclusion was deflected into a corner by a defender on 29 minutes. Gibraltar replied with a powerful drive by Graeme Torrilla which was turned into a corner by Bonello on 33 minutes. Five minutes later, Mbong entered the area from the right before serving Camenzuli whose low shot was deflected into another corner. Then, one minute from the end of the first half, Mbong was anticipated as he was about to conclude from close range when served by Cardona.
Seven minutes in the second half, Satariano had a header cleared off the gaol line by a defender but a minute later, Malta managed to take the lead when off a cross by Chouaref from the left, Joseph Mbong flicked the ball home past the Gibraltar goalkeeper.
An acrobatic attempt by Teddy Teuma was blocked by a defender into a corner and from the resulting corner, a header by Kurt Shaw scraped past the post on 58 minutes.
Gibraltar levelled matters on 61 minutes thanks to James Scanlan who concluded a good run with a shot from outside the area which was deflected by Enrico Pepe to end at the back of the net.
The visitors threatened once again six minutes later with another Scanlan effort whose shot from outside the area ended just wide.
With one minute to go, Malta was unlucky to hit the upright with a Zach Muscat close range header following a corner from the left and a header by Paul Mbong.
MALTA Henry Bonello, Ryan Camenzuli, Kurt Shaw (88’ Zach Muscat), Matthew Guillaumier, Joseph Mbong (73’ Paul Mbong), Teddy Teuma (82’ Keyon Ewurum), Irvin Cardona, Enrico Pepe, Ilyas Chouaref, Juan Corbalan (88’ Andrea Zammit), Alexander Satariano (73’ Brandon Paiber).
GIBRALTAR Jaylan Hankins, Ethan Jolley, Julian Valarino, Nicholas Pozo (86’ Han Stevens), Daniel Bent, Bernardo Lopes, Carlos Richards, Kian Ronan, Tjay De Barr, James Scanlon, Graeme Torrilla.
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant referees: Damir Lazić, Amer Macić BIH
Fourth official: Mateo Musa BIH
Video Assistant Referee: Luka Bilbija BIH
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nihad Ljajic BIH