Malta emerged as 3-1 winners against Kazakhstan in the final Group B6 match of the UEFA Euro WU19 Qualifiers, producing a controlled and professional display on Monday.
Malta looked to get started on the front foot, and straight away from kick off, they linked up nicely to find Lexine Farrugia, whose shot at the near post was parried away by goalkeeper Ayana Toktarova.
Kazakhstan had an opportunity to go ahead in the eighth minute, when a ball was cut back to Nazym Aldanazar, whose powerful shot looped just over the bar.
In the 21st minute, Malta had a golden chance to go in front, when Crista Chetcuti Ganado was sent through on goal, but her left-footed effort was just about saved by Toktarova, and the subsequent rebound was then blocked.
Malta opened the scoring in the 26th minute, when there was a scramble in the Kazakhstan penalty area, with a number of attempts from the Maltese team being blocked by a mix of the Kazakhstan goalkeeper and defenders. The ball eventually fell to Emma Sophia Flannery, who hit a powerful shot that nestled into the net, giving Malta the lead.
The Reds remained in control, and were continuing to string together some neat passages of play. In the 36th minute, they had an opportunity to double their lead, when some tidy link-up play found Nyorah Celeste, but her strike was saved. Malta threatened again right before the break, when Suzanne Farrugia Sacco was freed down the left wing, and with her cross found Farrugia, but she could not make a clean contact with her effort.
Malta came quickly out of the blocks in the second half, and they immediately doubled their lead, when Chetcuti Ganado took the ball down excellently, before finding Farrugia, who made no mistake, stroking the ball past Toktarova.
It was 3-0 just a few minutes later, with Chetcuti Ganado being the provider again, crossing to Nyorah Celeste, who tucked it into the net from close range.
Kazakhstan got a goal back in the 68th minute, when a scuffle in the Maltese penalty area from a corner led to the ball falling to Aldanazar, who managed to just about put it into the net from close range.
Malta remained the stronger of the two sides, and they looked to bounce back, having a couple of chances in the 75th minute, but they could not find the back of the net.
Malta saw out the win, keeping hold of possession for large stretches of the final few minutes. As a result, Malta ended the UEFA Euro WU19 Qualifiers with a 3-1 win, after an attacking display from the young team.
Kazakhstan
12 Ayana Toktarova (GK) (1 Didar Naken, 55’), 3 Azhar Shoketayeva (15 Aizada Adilbek, 28’), 4 Adeliya Bekkozhina, 6 Darya Tolkachyova (16 Ramina Omarova, 55’), 7 Zhanel Talasbayeva, 8 Nazym Aldanazar (C), 11 Elina Irismetova (5 Anel Dosbolova, 46’), 13 Medina Murat (10 Tomiris Rakhatzhan, 55’), 14 Aissana Zeken, 19 Zhansezim Aissapar, 20 Diana Sabyr
Coach: Zhanna Malgazhdarova
Malta
1 Erika Muscat (GK), 2 Thea Ida Scicluna, 3 Emma Sophia Flannery, 4 Amber Galea, 5 Francesca Bartolo, 7 Lexine Farrugia (C) (18 Shana Farrugia, 78’), 10 Nyorah Celeste, 13 Crista Chetcuti Ganado, 15 Suzanne Farrugia Sacco (6 Ema Micallef, 66’), 17 Lara May Azzopardi, 19 Stella Francalanza
Coach: David Attard
Referee: Teona Sturua (GEO)
Source: MFA
Photo: MFA
