Malta 2
Faroe Islands 4

Malta narrowly missed out on a place in the main draw of the 2017 European Championship qualifiers after going down 4-2 to the Faroe Islands in their final preliminary round match at the Tedesco Stadium yesterday.

On a dramatic day, Georgia fully profited from Malta’s defeat by trouncing debutants Andorra 7-0 at the National Stadium to finish top of the group, level with the Faroe Islands and Malta on six points.

Georgia secured top spot and qualification to the group stage as they had a better goal difference of +1 in matches against their direct rivals. Faroe Islands, who scored four goals and conceded four in the direct encounters, finished second and Malta, with a goal difference of -1, were classified third.

After victories over Andorra (5-3) and Georgia (2-1), Malta needed just one point from their last match to top the four-team group.

The Maltese girls’ task was compounded in the early stages as they conceded two quick goals in the opening 15 minutes.

They had started brightly as Shona Zammit and Rachel Cuschieri went close in the first 10 minutes.

But it was the Faroese girls who broke the deadlock on 13 minutes when Rannva Andreasen hit past Malta goalkeeper Janice Xuereb.

The Maltese were still coming to terms with that setback when they fell further behind two minutes later as Milja Simonsen put her team 2-0 up.

After that early double blow, Malta tried to regroup and put their opponents under pressure through attempts by Dorianne Theuma, Brenda Borg and Jade Flask but Faroe Islands goalkeeper Anna Hansen was alert to protect her goal.

Malta reopened the issue six minutes from the break thanks to Ylenia Carabott.

The goal was a shot in the arm for Mark Gatt’s girls who went on to level matters through Martina Borg four minutes into the second half.

However, Malta’s joy was shortlived as Faroe Islands regained their lead on 53 minutes through skipper Heidi Sevdal.

Malta tried to hit back and efforts from Theuma and Cuschieri just missed the target.

At the other end, Andreasen’s shot rolled wide while substitute Idunn Magnussen was denied by Xuereb.

In the closing stages, Malta pushed more players forward but their flat-out approach was exposed by their opponents who sealed the issue when Sevdal scored her second goal, and her team’s fourth.

Meanwhile, Moldova won the other preliminary round mini-tournament with a total of six points, two ahead of Latvia and Lithuania.

Malta: J. Xuereb, G. Zahra (67 E. Xuereb), Y. Vella (19 M. Borg), S. Farrugia, D. Theuma, Y. Carabott, R. Cuschieri, S. Zammit, J. Flask, C. Zammit, B. Borg.

Faroe Islands: A. Hansen, F. Danielsen, E. Klakstein (86 L. Arge), S. Petersen, O. Hansen, A. Sevdal, M. Josephsen, R. Andreasen, H. Sevdal, S. Kristiansen, M. Simonsen (47 M. Magnussen).

Referee: D. Gokcek (Turkey).

Final standings