Superior Belarus edge Malta

Malta 0
Belarus 1

Dusan Fitzel regarded Belarus as the strongest opponents for Malta in the 2008 International Tournament and that was the one and only reason he chose to play them last. The Czech clearly expected Belarus to subject his troops to their sternest test so far this year but what he probably didn't envisage was that this game would decide the winner of the tournament.

A well-contested encounter was the result of the teams' toils to finish on a winning note but, in the end, it proved a bridge too far for the Maltese.

After a balanced first half, Belarus turned up the heat on Malta but needed a late goal to shoot down the home team and pip Armenia to the title on goal difference.

Belarus's second-half dominance highlighted the limitations in our team.

Malta had generally coped well in the first half but suffered a physical decline after the break, looking distinctly slower than their opponents besides showing yawning gaps between defence and midfield.

On the positive side, Malta created a handful of counter-attacks, mainly through Michael Mifsud who contrived to miss what looked like an unmissable chance before Belarus hit the winner.

Fitzel's first-team selection had a more familiar look as most of the players who held a regular place in the side during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign were handed starting roles.

These included Mifsud, Udo Nwoko and goalkeeper Justin Haber. Defender Luke Dimech retained his place in the team while Gilbert Agius, yesterday making his 106th appearance for Malta, and Brian Said also returned after being rested on Monday.

Apart from Andrè Schembri, the only notable absentee from the line-up was Jamie Pace who started on the bench.

Belarus were boosted by the presence of captain and kingpin Aleksandr Hleb, the Arsenal playmaker.

Only three minutes from the start of the game had elapsed when George Mallia delivered a long pass towards Mifsud but the latter drove his shot over the bar.

On 15 minutes, Malta could have nosed ahead as Mifsud produced a typical diagonal run before crossing low for Ivan Woods whose deft flick from a tight angle whizzed across the face of goal before Aleksei Skvernyuk cleared the danger.

Off the field, Fitzel was often seen gesticulating in front of his substitutes, using passages of the game to lecture his players on important aspects such as positioning and tactics.

Nwoko should have done better than hit the ball wide of the far post after he was picked out by a clever Agius pass.

A couple of rushed clearances by Haber and other mishit passes in midfield upset Fitzel as Malta surrendered possession too easily on occasions but the home players battled back to make up for their mistakes.

Mifsud had a shot saved by Yuri Zhevnov, the Belarus goalkeeper, 10 minutes from half-time.

At the start of the second half, Fitzel introduced Shaun Bajada and Cleaven Frendo instead of Mallia and Woods.

In the opening stages, a header by Nikolai Kashevsky was easily saved by Haber while at the other end, Mifsud did well to skip past the Belarus goalkeeper but his rather weak shot was kept out by Filipenka.

Belarus threatened immediately, Vitaly Kutuzov, the Pisa striker, just missing the target after receiving a pass in a wide position inside the box.

The brisker football came from Belarus in the second half but Malta should have gained a breakthrough after nine minutes when Mifsud sped into the box before passing to Said. The Malta defender's first-time flick from close range finished over the bar.

Mifsud was proving a thorn in Belarus's side as the nippy striker powered through but his shot was palmed away for a corner by Zhevnov.

Belarus's strong response saw them create three dangerous opportunities which forced last-ditch blocks by the home team.

Haber opposed to Filipenka's header after a corner by substitute Maksim Romaschenko had been deflected in his path. From the corner, it was Kalachev who directed the ball towards goal but Ian Azzopardi nodded it away from the goal line.

With the Maltese defence in tatters at this stage, Belarus, now pushing forward en masse, kept up the pressure, Haber again distinguishing himself with a save on Romaschenko who had been released by Viachaslav Hleb.

With 17 minutes of the game left, Dimech atoned for more shambolic defending by his team-mates with a timely tackle on Viachaslav Hleb.

The fading Maltese continued to huff and puff in the face of Belarus's quick forward movement.

Kiril Pavluchek blasted his shot high after he was teed up by Aleksandr Hleb and, in a rare breakaway by the home team, Mifsud bombed forward but sent his side-shot wide.

Mifsud could have struck the winner for Malta less than seven minutes from time when Frendo's pass from a wide position on the right found him unmarked at the far post but he did the impossible by lifting his shot against the bar. From the rebound, Frendo fired high.

A minute from time, Belarus struck, Romaschenko beating Haber with a curling free-kick from a tight angle to the right of Malta's box.

In stoppage time, Kutuzov swept past Haber but hit wide.

After the end of the match, Joe Mifsud, the MFA president, presented the winning trophy to Aleksandr Hleb.

Malta: J. Haber, I. Azzopardi, B. Said ('65 A. Xuereb), L. Dimech, G. Agius ('65 J. Pace), R. Briffa ('84 K. Scicluna), M. Mifsud, I. Woods ('46 C. Frendo), G. Mallia ('46 S. Bajada), G. Sciberras, U. Nwoko ('80 K. Sammut).

Belarus: Y. Zhevnov, A. Kulchy, R. Filipenka, S. Omelyanchuk, A. Radzkou ('66 K. Pavluchek), T. Kalachev, V. Bulyga ('59 V. Hleb), A. Hleb, A. Skvernyuk, V. Kutuzov, N. Kashevsky ('59 M. Romaschenko).

Referee: Ararat Tshagharyan (Armenia). Scorer: Romaschenko 89.

Malta players' ratings

Haber-6.5, Azzopardi 5.5, Said-5, Dimech-6.5, Agius-5.5, Briffa-5.5, Mifsud-7, Woods-5.5, Mallia-5.5, Sciberras-6, Nwoko-6.

Subs: Bajada-4.5; Frendo-5.5; Pace-4.5.