BULGARIA-1, MALTA-1 

Malta showed great fighting spirit and resilience as they came back from a goal down to gain a point from their Euro 2016 qualifier against Bulgaria at the Vassil Levski Stadium tonight.

With Bulgaria desperate for a win after back-to-back defeats, Malta were left facing an uphill task after conceding inside the opening six minutes but Pietro Ghedin's men grew in stature as the game progressed.

Having shown signs of life in attack towards the end of the first half, Malta gained a deserved equaliser soon after the restart, Clayton Failla scoring from the penalty spot after a cohesive move had unhinged the Bulgaria defence.

Malta clearly needed a herculean effort to keep Bulgaria at bay for the remainder of the second half but they were not found wanting.

With Andrew Hogg effecting a string of crucial interventions and all his team-mates working their socks off to close down the Bulgarians, Malta held on to gain their first point in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

There were no surprises in Ghedin's team as Jean Paul Farrugia stepped in for the suspended Michael Mifsud while defender Jonathan Caruana made his first start in these qualifiers after a groin injury kept him out of the opening three games.

Bulgaria coach Luboslav Penev made no fewer than five changes from the 2-1 defeat away to Norway.

Needing a win to revive their qualification bid, Bulgaria forced an early corner from which Georgio Iliev's cross was deflected towards Georgi Terziev who mishit his shot from the edge of the box.

It was not long before the hosts opened the scoring. The danger came from the feet of Ivelin Popov, of Kuban Krasnodar, whose cross into the box was headed on by Alexandrov towards the lanky Andrei Galabinov who flicked the ball past Andrew Hogg from routine distance. Galabinov looked to have fallen offside as he latched on to the ball but the match official deemed otherwise.

Bulgaria continued to attack in numbers.

Alexandrov drifted in from the right after another astute move but his pass towards Popov was cleared away.

The pattern of the game stayed the same with Bulgaria dictating matters.

There was a scare for the red-shirted players on 25 minutes as Milanov's cross flew towards Galabinov who cushioned the ball with his chest in the box but his volley came off the crossbar.

With 10 minutes of the first half remaining, Briffa's left-foot drive from the distance but his effort was off target. There was a better chance for Malta as Camilleri's excellent ball from defence dropped to Zach Muscat in the inside-right channel. The Birkirkara wing-back opted to guide a first-time pass that rolled towards Fenech whose drive was deflected away for a corner.

From the set-piece, Fenech's low cross was intercepted but the loose ball squirmed ball towards the pocket-sized midfielders but his ensuing grounder was saved by Stoyanov. The red-shirted players plucked up courage. Malta looked to have a legitimate claim for a penalty when Briffa, having elegantly lofted the ball over his marker, tried to pass to Farrugia but the ball appeared to come off Terziev's arm. Swedish referee Martin Strombergsson saw nothing wrong.

At the other end, Agius did well to charge down Alexandrov's grounder after the Ludogorets winger had been sent through by Dyakov.

Buoyed by their improved showing in the latter stages of the first half, Malta began the second periodf brightly. Their efforts were rewarded four minutes into the second half as they were awarded a penalty after Farrugia was brought down by Veselin Minev after a good move involving Briffa and Schembri.

Failla drove his penalty past Stoyanov to level matters.

The hosts were shocked. Three minutes later, Fenech's left-wing corner was met by Schembri but his sliced header found no takers.

Penev made a double substitution, introducing Ilian Micanski and Marquinhos for Galabinov and Milanov.

A swift Bulgaria move unpicked the Malta defence but Hogg made a great save to deny Alexandrov.

Bulgaria raised their game They were denied a second goal by the woodwork as Popov's looping header, from Manolev's cross, came off the inside of the far post.

Marquinhos's grounder was deflected wide.

Malta survived the siege but their hopes looked to have been shattered when a rash challenge by Rowen Muscat on the incoming Micanski on the edge of the box prompted Strombergsson to point to the spot.

Popov blasted high from the spot.

Ghedin made a tactical substitution, bringing on on Ryan Fenech, a midfielder, for Schembri. Steve Bezzina then came on for the hobbling Failla.

Alexander Tonev, who had just replaced Iliev, had an angled shot deflected away for a corner after good work by Alexandrov.

When Malta failed to clear a cross, danger loomed as the ball landed to Marquinhos just inside the box. The CSKA Sofia forward released Minev but the latter's cross-cum-shot drifted across the face of goal, with the ball skimming the far post.

Late on, Marquinhos had a free-kick repelled by the wall and, from the rebound, Tonev skewed his effort high and wide.

The fourth official signalled four minutes of stoppage time but Malta held on to secure a point.

 

Bulgaria

V. Stoyanov, G. Terziev, N. Bodurov, M. Alexandrov, I. Popov, S. Manolev, V. Minev, A. Galabinov (58 I. Micanski), G. Milanov (58 Marquinhos), S. Dyakov, G. Iliev (71 A. Tonev).

Malta

An. Hogg, J. Caruana, P. Fenech, A. Agius, C. Failla (80 S. Bezzina), R. Briffa, J.P. Farrugia (90 T. Vella), R. Muscat, A. Schembri (78 R. Fenech), R. Camilleri, Z. Muscat.

Referee Martin Strombergsson (Sweden).