Malta beaten 1-0 in Ukraine

Malta was marginally beaten by Ukraine 1-0 in a Group Eight qualifying match from the UEFA U-21 Championship in Kiev, yesterday.

Edwin Camilleri's team played a solid defensive match against Ukraine who only managed to beat Henry Bonello in Malta's goal with a 68th-minute free-kick, taken by Yevhen Konoplianka.

The Maltese took their time to settle down and looked nervous following yellow cards to Mark Scerri and Warren Chircop inside the opening 30 minutes of the match.

However, the team looked compact and Ukraine, who were making their first showing in the group, were only dangerous from dead-ball situations. The hosts had numerous corners in favour but in the end it had to be Konoplianka's free-kick that decided the issue.

This was Malta's second match in the group. In March, they were beaten 2-0 by Slovenia at the Hibs Ground.

Malta: H. Bonello, D. Pisani, J. Zerafa, S. Borg, R. Camilleri, T. Farrugia, J. Mintoff, M. Scerri, W. Chircop ('86 G. Goodlip), B. Camilleri ('63 J. Galea), C. Gatt Baldacchino ('80 G. Muscat).