Malta……….3
Gibraltar…..0
20′ Fionn Dullard (MLT), 38′ Lukas Wright (MLT), 55′ Nicholas Busuttil (MLT)
Malta launched the UEFA Boys U15 Development Tournament with a bang, securing a solid 3-0 victory against Gibraltar thanks to a dominant performance.
Malta began strongly, winning a free-kick within the first couple of minutes due to a foul on Cole Zerafa at the edge of the penalty area. The ball was delivered into the box where Giorgio Cristauro got the first touch, but his effort was comfortably saved.
In the first 10 minutes, both teams were still trying to establish control, exchanging a few tidy passes. Malta, in particular, seemed to have better command of the midfield. At the 11-minute mark, Fionn Dullard found space and passed back to Lukas Wright, who mishit his shot and sent the ball wide.
Twenty minutes into the match, Malta capitalised on a misplaced pass from Gibraltar’s midfield. The ball was played to Dullard, who confidently scored from close range to give Malta the lead.
From that point onward, Malta appeared to command the match and were consistently threatening, particularly on the flanks. They nearly doubled their advantage when Wright found space in the penalty area, but his header narrowly missed the target. In another moment, Malta earned a free-kick from a close distance, and Wright’s shot just skimmed past the post.
At the 35-minute mark, Gibraltar advanced after putting pressure on the Maltese defence, with Robert Guiling attempting a shot from outside the penalty area, which just cleared the crossbar.
Nonetheless, Malta continued to be the superior side and were rewarded 38 minutes into the match when Giorgio Cristauro broke free down the left wing before delivering a low cross to Wright, who turned and slotted the ball neatly past Gibraltar goalkeeper Lucas Becerra Lopez.
Malta nearly extended their lead to three on a couple of occasions towards the end of the first half, both from long-range efforts by Nicholas Busuttil, but his two attempts narrowly missed the post, leaving the score at 2-0 going into halftime.
The second half began similarly to the first, with Malta controlling possession. In the 55th minute, Malta earned a free-kick from the edge of the box, and Busuttil expertly sent the ball under the wall to make it 3-0.
Both teams made several substitutions after the third goal, but Malta continued to dominate and dictate the pace of the match. On 68 minutes, Kenzil Vella had a prime chance when Cristauro delivered an excellent pass from the left, but the forward failed to convert.
Malta maintained their dominance for the remainder of the half and secured a 3-0 victory, marking an impressive start to the tournament.
Next, Malta will compete against Estonia on Thursday, 3rd October at 13:30hrs.
Malta
1 Noah Mulholland (GK) (12 Deyan Gatt 73′), 2 Liam Gatt (13 Robbie Formosa 59′), 5 Adam Miceli (14 Matteo Mangion 59′), 6 Jayden Roe (C), 4 Kaiden Grixti, 3 Giorgio Cristauro (15 Jake Bonnici 69′), 10 Nicholas Busuttil (17 Sean Farrugia 69′), 8 Ayrem Aquilina (16 Kayden Hili 69′), 11 Fionn Dullard (18 Luke Buttigieg 59′), 9 Lukas Wright (20 Rhys Vassallo 69′), 7 Cole Zerafa (19 Kenzil Vella 59′)
Coach: Jonathan Holland
Gibraltar
1 Lucas Becerra Lopez, 2 Filipe Hill De Oliveira (12 Nicholas Pinson Ramos 72′), 3 Kaion Drakes, 4 Julian Lima (19 Evan Garro 46′), 5 Ryan Casciaro (18 Callum Goldwin 56′), 7 Jaxsen Ramirez Alman (17 Aiden Desoiza Attard, 72′), 8 Robert Guiling (6 Aaron Cordon 56′), 9 Lucas Hull De Oliveira, 10 Ilies Achhoud Amziane (15 Imran El Hana 76′), 11 Leon Martinez, 14 Edward Purdy
Coach: Jonathan Sodi
Yellow cards: 4 Julian Lima (GIB), 8 Robert Guiling (GIB)
