The U-20 Comen Cup tournament with an experimental set of new regulations in terms of squads, playing units, size of the pitch and the ball, got off to a start at the National Pool, yesterday.
Malta faced Italy, one of the foremost waterpolo nations in the world and, as anticipated, were soundly beaten by a side that were technically and physically of another level.
Enough to say that scoring seven goals against these opponents could be regarded as a partial satisfaction.
The Maltese fought as well as they could, with goalkeeper Nicholas Grixti pulling off fine saves and making timely interventions in the vicinity of goal.
The 8-4 deficit at mid-point was none too gaping. However, the Italians pulled well clear in the third quarter when scoring six times to increase their advantage to 14-4. They then thumped in eight more in the final part of the game to wind up a very comfortable 22-7 victory.
Three Italian players, Edoardo Di Somma, Roberto Ravina and Jacopo Alesiani, each scored four goals, a tally which was also shared by Malta’s Ben Plumpton, the youngest player in the water.
Italy 22
Malta 7
(3-1, 5-3, 6-0, 8-3)
Malta: N. Grixti, N. Bugelli 1, A. Galea, M. Grech, K. Dowling 1, B. Plumpton 4, K. Galea 1, B. Lanzon, M. Fenech, Z. Sciberras, S. Xerri de Caro.
Italy: F. Viola, U. Esposito 2, E. Di Somma 4, F. Panerai 1, G. Foglio 3, R. Ravina 4, V. Dolce 3, A. Maccioni, J. Alesiani 4, G. Baviera 1, F. De Michelis.
Referees: E. Pairaktaridis (Greece), M. Schwarz (Israel).
Other results: Greece vs Serbia 13-12; Cyprus vs Israel 8-15.
Playing today: 16.15 Serbia vs Malta; 17.30 Israel vs Italy; 18.45 Cyprus vs Israel.