Again Malta’s match, against another vastly superior team that grows quality players abundantly like fruit on trees, assumed the proportion of a slaughter of the innocents at the pool in Tal-Qroqq, yesterday.

There was nothing the Maltese could do against Serbia and the result was a foregone conclusion from the very outset.

Serbia coach, the great Vladimir Vujasinovic who last played for Neptunes in the Reds’ champion-ship-winning side in 2010, effected wholesale changes all the way with the rotation never affecting the team’s strength.

His players were in total control, sending the back of the opposing net bulging relentlessly.

Karl Izzo, who introduced John Napier, Matteo Cacici and Miguel Zammit in lieu of Nicholas Bugelli, Sean Xerri de Caro and Benji Lanzon and gave all his players a feel of the water, just watched his side with a resigned countenance.

His team was always on the receiving end and finally buried under an avalanche of goals as all the nine Serb players, except the two goalkeepers, inserted their names on the scorers’ list.

Of some consolation to Malta were the goals netted by Cacici and Ben Plumpton, the latter netting an excellent backhand on the stroke of time to bring his total to six from two matches.

However, in the end the result mirrored the gulf in class between the two teams.

Serbia 27
Malta 4

(7-2, 7-1, 6-0, 7-1)

Serbia: R Filipovic, M. Asanovic 1, F. Jankovic 2, M. Repanovic 2, D. Lazic 5, D. Vucinic 1, D. Gogov 3, F. Radojevic 4, M. Manojlovic 4, R. Joksimovic 5, M. Vitorovic.

Malta: N. Grixti, J. Napier, A. Galea, M. Grech, K, Dowling, B. Plumpton 2, K. Galea, M. Zammit, M. Fenech, Z. Sciberras, M. Cacici 2.

Referees: E. Pairaktaridis (Greece) and M. Schwartz (Israel).

Other results: Israel vs Italy 6-29; Greece vs Cyprus 35-7.

Today: 09.00 Malta vs Israel; 10.15 Cyprus vs Serbia; 11.30 Italy vs Greece; 16.15 Serbia vs Israel; 17.30 Greece vs Malta; 18.45 Cyprus vs Italy.