MALTA           1

Corbalan 4

FAROE ISLANDS 1

Joensen 3

The Malta national team ended their commitments in the UEFA Nations League when they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Faroe Islands at the National Stadium.

The result left Malta at the bottom of Group D 4 and still without a win after six matches played.

The Faroes’ were off to a brisk start and took the lead inside the first three minutes of play.

Gilli Rolanttsson sent a dipping cross towards the far post and Rene Joensen outmuscled his marker to head past Andrew Hogg.

But the Maltese player provide the right response to this early setback as inside 60 seconds they restored parity.

Mifsud ran to meet a throughball and his thumping drive was somehow kept out by Gunnar Nielsen but from the rebound Juan Corbalan drilled the ball into the net.

Malta were lucky not to be reduced in ten men on 16 minutes when Steve Borg seemed to headbutt Hallur Hannson in off the ball incident but referee Vitali Meshkov opted for just a stern warning to the Maltese defender.

Neither side managed to maintain their ascendancy after scoring in the opening stages of the match with the result that the match was turning out to be a scrappy affair.

Eleven minutes from the break, Failla sent a cross toward Corbalan who tried to play in Mifsud but the Malta striker was anticipated by Faroe defender.

Malta’s troubles to deal with the visitors’ wing play was again underlined on 36 minutes when Viljormur Davidsen sped past Corbalan and his pin-point cross found Solvi Vanthamar who luckily for the hosts headed wide.

Four minutes into the second half, Corbalan came close to a second when he latched onto Failla’s cross and his thumping volley smacked against the bar with Nielsen beaten.

The next scoring opportunity arrived on 64 minutes when after another series of consecutive passes the ball broke to Brandur Hendriksson but his long-range shot finished over.

Twenty minutes into the second half Zach Muscat limped out with an ankle injury and was replaced by Jonathan Caruana.

Six minutes later, Andrei Agius moved forward to pick up a short rebound but his shot lacked power to trouble Nielsen.

Two minutes later, Malta should have doubled their lead when Mifsud latched onto a long pass, turned past his marker but shot straight into Nielsen’s hands.

 

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