MALTA            0

ESTONIA          3

Malta: H. Bonello, C. Gatt Baldacchino, S. Borg, A. Agius, R. Fenech (A. Effiong), M. Mifsud, A. Schembri (S. Pisani), R. Muscat (P. Fenech), Z. Muscat (J. Zerafa), J.P. Farrugia (K. Nwoko), L. Gambin (C. Failla)

Estonia: M. Meerits, M. Vihmann, A. Pikk, I. Antonov (M. Kait), S. Zenjov (H. Anier), R. Sappinen (B. Lepistu), S. Mosnikov (A. Purje), K. Mets, A. Dmitrijev, N. Baranov (J. Tamm), K. Mool (T. Teniste)

Referee: G. Nuza (Kosovo)

Scorers: R. Sappinen 1, S. Mosnikov 14 pen, H. Anier 90

Yellow cards: C. Gatt Baldacchino, S. Borg, C. Failla

Attendance: 2,796

 

SILVIO VELLA

New coach, new system but same familiar defeat with familiar flaws. Despite all the expectations, Malta again failed to garner at least a result that whips up a degree of local optimism for future competitions, conceding early and late goals and failing to keep up the pace with the demands of international football in yesterday's friendly against Estonia.

With no celebrity vistor to gaze at or cheer about, almost 3,000 spectators turned out at the National Stadium yesterday afternoon, perhaps because entrance was free of charge or because of curiosity after the change of the national coach.

Winless in 10 qualifying World Cup matches, Malta were trying to find some new way forward, and yesterday's friendly, the first under new national coach Tom Saintfiet, was considered as a good opportunity to get into the groove. But we all witnessed the same portrait of a national team that offers little alternatives.

And with Estonia, who in all fairness are opponents who enjoy a much better view in the FIFA rankings than the locals, looking superior throughout, it remains difficult to see where any spark for Malta will come from in the immediate future.

Lowering expectations is perhaps the solution. 

 

Malta's ragged start allowed the visitors to dictate the pace at will and take a two-goal lead within the first quarter hour.

After falling behind, Malta never really rallied, aside from efforts by Farrugia and Gambin in the first half and a Nwoko glaring miss in the second.

Worse still, Malta conceded a third goal on 90 minutes that makes the final score line look even harsher.

Goals apart, of more serious concern was the overall disconnect inherent in the Malta performance. Although still early, the Maltese players struggled to show enough cohesion in Saintfiet's new system.

Malta's initial 4-2-3-1 formation deployed by the Belgian coach, included Henry Bonello in goal, behind wide backs Steve Borg and Zach Muscat and Andrei Agius and Clifford Gatt Baldacchino the central pair. Rowen Muscat and Ryan Fenech were the two holding midfielders, with wide players Andre Schembri and Luke Gambin, together with Michael Mifsud in the middle behind the isolated Jean Paul Farrugia. But as the game progressed, Schembri and Gambin retreated further to close spaces between the lines, with Mifsud supporting Farrugia.

Malta's best player yesterday was Luke Gambin. Our team's main threats, always came from the Luton Town midfielder, whether with his crosses from the left or with his forays from the right, after he switched sides with Schembri in the first half.

Estonia enjoyed a superb opening half hour, where they took a two-goal lead and could have scored more. Ilja Antonov, who plays for Rudar Velenje in Slovenia, boasted the presence and skill in midfield and was his side's orchestrator. And when Estonia went forward, Sergei Mosnikov, who plays in Finland, in particular was a contsant menace.

These were two of seven players in their starting line-up who play outside the country, plying their trade in Norway, Finland, Slovenia or Poland. But it was local boy from Tallin Flora, Rauno Sappinen,that gave them the lead within the first minute - after 55 seconds to be precise - as he picked Mosnikov's pass and ran past the static Maltese defence from the right to slide the ball past keeper Bonello.

Estonia's second came short of the quarter hour, and came from a Sergei Mosnikov penalty, after Steve Borg had felled Pikk inside the area.

On 23 minutes, Mosnikov's weighted free kick from outside the area forced keeper Bonello to stretch himself and turn into a corner.

It did not look to get any better for Malta, in  a first half in which they were simply not at the races, until Farrugia forced the Estonia keeper Meerits to produce the first save and turn into a corner, after the half hour.

And before the break, Gambin advanced down the right but his curling shot was held out by the Estonia keeper.

Malta replaced Zach Muscat with Joseph Zerafa at the start of the second half and short of the hour, coch Saintfiet gave a debut to Kyrian Nwoko, replacing Farrugia. Steve Pisani, Paul Fenech, Alfred Effiong and Clayton Failla also played a part. And with Estonia also retreating two of their most influential players, Antonov and Mosnikov, the game started to drift in the last half hour as the multiple substitutions interrupted the flow.

The mood, strangely, was more upbeat in the second half than it was in the first.

Malta at least looked defensively solid although still offering very little going forward despite all their tame efforts.

What Malta could not conjure up was a consolation goal at least.

Their best chance though fell to Nwoko on 69 minutes. The youngster skied the ball from close range after going in for Mifsud's low cross.

A reshuffled Estonia side, still managed to score a third goal on the stroke of full time. Substitute Henri Anier knocked in other substitute Kait's  cross from the right but that added some excessive gloss to Estonia's win.

 

 

AFTER MATCH COMMENTS

Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet was very unhappy with the result, even if against a team that beat Croatia with the same score in the World Cup qualifiers.

 He was not hesitant to express his disappointment when addressing the media after the match.

According to Saintfiet, personal mistakes led to Estonia's goal after 55 seconds and the coach admitted that there was contact by Borg on his opponent in the penalty incident that led to Estonia's second goal.

"Our game started after falling two goals behind," said Saintfiet.

"After that, we tried to play some offensive football but we still had problems in defence in the first half. Their wings played high."

In the second half, Malta made changes to make the team more offensive.

"We made efforts to score at least a goal. We did not deserve to suffer the third goal though," said the coach.

Saintfiet admitted that he saw good things in yesterday's friendly match and learned a lot from his players.

"I am satsified with 90% of the performance of the team".

He had words of praise for Luke Gambin whom he described as outstanding. But the national coach was also satisfied with Rowen Muscat and Michael Mifsud's performances, both players giving more than expected when not fully fit.

About Zach Muscat's inclusion as left back, Saintfiet said that was perhaps a tactical mistake, since Zach had joined the Malta squad very late and had little time to adapt in that position.

Despite yesterday's result, Saintfiet's aim remains that of trying to change the idea of playing our football reverting to  a 4-2-3-1 formation.

"But that might require to talk about different players  in different positions," said the Belgian coach.

By playing more matches (looking forward to next March's friendly against Luxembourg) and including more players from the Under 21 side, Saintfiet says Malta can improve.

Asked how can he make players get used to his new system of offensive football, Saintfiet is hoping that he can have more time to work with national players perhaps twice or three times in a week.