Malta 6
Germany 14
(2-3, 2-5, 0-4, 2-2)

In their opening European U-19 Championship 2016 Qualifying Group A match, Malta were undone by a physically and technically better German team, with the 14-6 scoreline reflecting the visitors undoubted ascendancy.

After a discreet opening quarter which the Germans shaded 3-2 Malta were outsmarted and before they knew it they were in cricketing jargon bowled out in the middle sessions.

Despite the workrate of Nicholas Bugelli, Malta’s best player, Anthony Farrugia’s team could never pose a threat to a side expertly groomed in the rudiments of waterpolo. The Malta captain scored a brace as did centre Jeremy Abela, with the other goals coming from Jacob Sciberras and Ben Plumpton.

However, the frailties of our components were increasingly exposed, although we managed to contain the disparity in the last session which started with the Germans 12-4 ahead.

In the final reckoning the margin of defeat was acceptable considering the superior pedigree of the Germans.

Malta: Z. Sciberras, N. Bugelli 2, K. Navarro, J. Sciberras 1, I. Riolo, B. Plumpton 1, J. Galea, M. Mifsud, J. Abela 2, M. Zammit, M. Cacici, M. Azzopardi, J. Tanti.

Germany: D. Bauch, K. Huppe, K. Sopiadis, P. Dolff 1, J. Reinhart 3, D. Strelezkij 2, B. Reibel 3, B. Boffen, E. Manolakis 1, T. Tadin 3, R. Toth, V. Winkler 1, M. Vernet Schweime.

Referees: B. Littlejohn (GBR), Serghie Melnikov ( Moldova)

Ukraine 10
Bulgaria 3
(2-0, 4-0, 2-1, 2-2)

Ukraine: K. Nikolskyi, V. Muzhychuk 1, D. Gusakov 2, V. Filchakov 1, O. Dzhura, S. Dubelir, M. Apostol 3, V. Dulin 1, M. Leshchenko 2, A. Salikhov, M. Cherpak, N. Bida, V. Haliasovsky.

Bulgaria: E. Tren Dafilov, K. Burnazov 1, N. Todorov, A. Jackway, A. Kyumurdzhiev 1, E. Zlatkov, I. Stefanov, M. Metodiev, V. Raykov, V. Grigorov, N. Todorov 1, P. Yordanov, G. Nenov.

Referees: E. Turkkan (Turkey), A. D’Hossche (Belgium).

Playing today

9am Bulgaria vs Germany; 10.15am Ukraine vs Slovenia; 6pm Slovenia vs Bulgaria; 7.15pm Malta vs Ukraine.

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