Turkey 4
Malta 0
Three goals in the opening 45 minutes paved the way for Turkey U-21 to ease their way past Malta in a European Championship qualifier in Istanbul yesterday.
It was a commanding display from the Turks who were clearly the better side and could have easily scored a more pronounced victory had they taken the chances that came their way.
Turkey are now top of Group 7 on six points, level on points with Poland.
Malta, on their part, remain bottom of the group with no points after two matches and coach Ray Farrugia has a tough task on his hands to lift his team’s spirits ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Greece.
The Malta coach is likely to have three key players missing for next week’s match in Athens. Zach Muscat was booked yesterday and is suspended while Bjorn Kristensen and Louis Cutajar are rated as doubtful after picking up an injury.
The Turks took the ground running and after six minutes the woodwork denied the hosts an opener when Sezer Ozmen connected to a Kerim Koyunlu corner-kick but his header came off the bar. Six minutes later Musa Cagiran fired just wide.
Malta finally threatened on 19 minutes when from a Ryan Camenzuli corner kick, Jean Paul Farrugia directed his shot just wide.
But it was Turkey who took the lead on 26 minutes. Cagiran served Omer Ali Sahiner who fired past Malta goalkeeper Jurgen Borg.
Seven minutes from the break, the Maltese no.1 had to be alert to keep out Okay Yokuslu’s effort.
However, the hosts were not to be denied and on 40 minutes Sahiner grabbed his second of the match and doubled Turkey’s lead.
There was more misery for Farrugia’s boys as they conceded a third goal on the stroke of half-time.
Sahiner saw his effort blocked by a Maltese defender and from the rebound Koyunlu made it 3-0.
On the change of ends Farrugia effected two changes when he with-drew Ryan Camenzuli and Louis Cutajar and roped in Jurgen Pisani and Matthew Tabone respectively.
But it was Turkey who main-tained the initiative and added a fourth goal on 72 minutes when Kamil Corekci fed Enes Unal who beat Borg with a firm drive.
Borg denied the hosts a fifth goal on 78 minutes when he pushed away a Kerim Koyunlu’s shot.
In time added on, Turkey hit the woodwork a second time when Berkaycan Degirmencioglu saw his shot coming off the post.
Turkey: A. Ozer, U. Ciftci (75 Y. Erdogan), B. Degirmencioglu, S. Ozmen, K. Corekci, A. Ozturk (70 E. Unal), E. Bassan, O. Yokuslu (58 G. Iravul), O. Sahiner, M. Cagiran, K. Koyunlu.
Malta: J. Borg, C. Grech, S.Borg, L. Cutajar (46 M. Tabone), R. Scicluna, Z. Muscat, B. Kristensen, C. Borg, R. Camenzuli (46 J. Pisani), S. Pisani, J.P. Farrugia.
Referee: Sergei Tsinkevich (Belarus).
Next matches
Today: Sweden vs Poland.
Tuesday: Greece vs Malta; Turkey vs Sweden.