Malta: A. Hogg, C. Failla (S. Bajada), B. Said, A. Agius, R. Fenech (P. Fenech), R. Briffa, M. Mifsud, D. Bogdanovic (G. Agius), S. Bezzina, K.Sammut (E. Herrera), J. Pace (G. Mallia)

Bulgaria: N. Mihaylov, V. Minev, S. Angelov, B. Georgev (I. Ivanov), B. Yankov, D. Berbatov (D. Rangelov), S. Petrov, V. Bozhinov (V. Domovchiyski), S. Manolev (I. Stoyanov), G. Sarmov, Z. Milanov (I. Bandalovski)

Referee: S. Nijhuis (Holland)

Scorers: V. Buzhinov, M. Mifsud, D. Berbatov (2), B. Yankov

Yellow cards: D. Bogdanovic, Z. Milanov, P. Fenech



Bulgaria struck late with three goals in quick succession in the final quarter hour to deny Malta a positive result in this friendly. The last 15 minutes proved fatal for our national team in yet another stern test as they let hold a one-all draw to go down heavily at the end.

Malta deserved better and our players may rightly feel hard done by the final scoreline. They gave a positive performance and had their moments, only to be let down by lack of concentration in crucial moments.

Coach John Buttigieg, who is building up his own squad for the forthcoming Euro qualifiers, has to work hard on the defence. This department surely showed frailties yesterday and after looking unsettled in the opening stages to concede Bulgaria’s early lead, they again leaked water with three late goals.

Malta’s midfield was good yesterday with the industrious Kevin Sammut and Jamie Pace excelling in flashes.

Malta enjoyed good spells as well, especially ten minutes before halftime and shortly after the break when they managed to equalise through Michael Mifsud.

For a whole 75 minutes the Maltese were well into the game, until Dimitar Berbatov struck twice to become Bulgaria’s all time top international scorer with 48 goals, beating Hristo Bonev’s previous record.

This experimental Malta side, included the return of Andrei Agius in defence and Daniel Bogdanovic in attack. The latter showed that he is not perhaps fully fit and never made an impact on the game. Valletta’s Steve Bezzina was making his interntional debut, as he was given the nod by coach Buttigieg in his defensive set-up.

He played the whole match and gave a very good account of himself. Gilbert Agius and George Mallia only made late substitute appearances.

Bulgaria were the first out of the blocks and within the first four minutes they were a goal up and had gone close on another instance. Keeper Andrew Hogg, preferred to Muscat, had to stretch himself to hold out a Bozhinov effort as Petrov lofted the rebound.

The two Bulgarians combined to give their side the lead. Petrov played a perfect through ball to Valerie Bozhinov who beat the helpless Hogg.

To their credit, Malta reacted immediately. A Sammut shot was saved by Twente’s keeper Mihaylov. A Fenech sailing free kick fell to the unmarked Pace whose shot was blocked into a corner.

When the tide abated, Bulgaria kept stroking the ball around and although less aggressive, they looked dangerous whenever they pushed forward. Their interaction nearly always caused embarrassment to the slow Maltese defence. Past the quarter hour, Bulgaria’s most creative force, Stiliyan Petrov, who plays for Aston Villa, set Berbatov on the right. The latter thumped his shot against the bar. And when Bozhinov netted again, the goal was disallowed for offside.

On the half hour, Hogg again came to Malta’s rescue as he thwarted Berbatov who had gone through inside the penalty area.

But Malta suddenly jerked into shape for the last ten minutes of the half and created enough to deserve a draw.

Sammut set Mifsud with a long ball. His shot on the run was well saved by the Bulgarian shot stopper. Then Pace hooked a long ball inside the area which the keeper deflected into a corner. As Malta held up the initiative, keeper Mihaylov effected a superb reflex save off Agius’ firm header on a Briffa cross.

Malta continued where they had left off after the restart, even because the inclusion of Shaun Bajada for Failla added the required impetus in midfield. Hardly one minute into the second half, Michael Mifsud silenced his critics with some clinical finishing. He sprinted into empty space behind the Bulgaria defence and rounded the grounded keeper to level matters.

The Maltese grew in confidence, with the backline settling well into the game. On 55 minutes, Hibernians’ Edward Herrera also made his debut appearance, going in for Sammut. On Herrera’s cross from the right, Mifsud headed just wide on the hour, before Paul Fenech was given his international debut, replacing Ryan Fenech.

But when Malta looked capable of holding to a draw, they totally collapsed to concede three goals in the last 15 minutes.

On 75 minutes substitute Stoyanov played a high ball for Dimitar Berbatov to head before keeper Hogg and collect Domovchiyski’s return pass and slot the ball into an empty net.

Four minutes later, Malta conceded a free kick on the edge of the area on the left when Paul Fenech committed a foul and Blagoy Georgiev beat the Malta keeper with a blistering shot at the top corner.

Completely demorilised, the Malta defence suffered more misery as eight minutes from time, Dimitar Berbatov ran unchallenged to beat Hogg for the second time and put his name on his country’s record books.