Malta came from a goal down to seal a 2-1 win over Israel with two late strikes.
This international friendly had to contend with coach Devis Mangia being suspended by the MFA the day before the match.
Davide Mazzotta stood in for Mangia and the players produced a performance worthy of the win.
It was Israel who struck first when Denny Gropper was fouled by Steve Borg inside the box. A penalty that looked harsh as replays showed little or no contact.
That came against the run of play. Malta dug deep and continued to push for an equaliser.
The second half saw Malta up the tempo of the game with Jodi Jones, Shaun Dimech and Joseph Mbong all going close.
Malta pulled level on 84 minutes when Luke Montebello sent Jordi Jones through on the left and Jones picked out Satarino in the box who a simple tap-in to make it 1-1.
With the clock running down, a Teddy Teuma corner saw Ferdinando Apap rise high above the Israel defence to sending a thumping header into the back of the net.
A deserved win for Malta on the back of the upheaval caused by the suspension of coach Mangia. It was a convincing performance by Malta as they begin preparations for Euro 2024.
Photos: Domenic Aquilina
