The Maltese Under-21 team produced another show of resilience in Budapest yesterday but their efforts were again undone by a late goal as Hungary won the friendly encounter at Budapest’s Bozsik Stadion 1-0.

Hungary had beaten the Maltese team 3-1 in another warm-up last year at the Hibs Stadium and yesterday they were fancying their chances of another positive result ahead of their next UEFA Championship Group Four qualifier against Bosnia next month, having beaten Albania 2-1 away in their opener.

However, with a Group Seven double header coming up in a few weeks’ time, Malta U-21 coach Ray Farrugia almost got what he had asked for from his boys as their overall display was encouraging before the more difficult matches away at Turkey and Greece next month.

“We played a perfect match and did not deserve to finish empty-handed,” Farrugia told Times of Malta.

“Tactically the team was excellent and we couldn’t have asked for more from our players knowing this was our first test of the season and we had little time together.

“The result is disappointing, you wouldn’t want to concede a goal at that minute, but I’m pleased with the performance. I think this team can do well in the UEFA Cham-pionship group qualifiers.”

Farrugia must have feared the worst before kick-off, knowing most of his players had not yet figured in any competitive matches this summer.

The response he got from his team, however, was again reassurring even though substitute Richard Vernes’s 95th-minute goal from a free-kick must have rattled their confidence knowing this was the second match in succession that Malta U-21 had forfeited just before the end following the 0-2 upset to Poland in June.

HUNGARY: L. Jova, B. Barath (R. Vernes), D. Kelemen, J. Windecker, A. Rado, R. Szolnoki, K. Adorjan (N. Farkas), R. Ugrai (L. Kleinheisler), P. Poor, B. Vecsei (A. Szakaly), B. Bese (B. Gyurjan).

MALTA: J. Borg, C. Grech, Z. Muscat, B. Kristensen, S. Pisani, S. Borg, C. Borg, L.J. Cutajar (60 M. Tabone), R. Camenzuli (82 J. Pisani), D. Zerafa (76 L. Micallef), J.P. Farrugia (85 B. Farrugia).

Referee: Peter Kralovic (Slovakia).

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