Malta offered some stubborn resistance in defence to preserve an early first half lead and beat Iceland with a Cleaven Frendo goal yesterday. This first win was a deserved one for perseverance and commitment shown by the entire national team.

It comes as a great relief after a disappointing defeat against Armenia on the first day and puts Malta on equal points with Belarus, behind leaders Armenia.

With the driving energy of Sammut and Barbara in midfield and the illusive movement in attack of Frendo, Malta always had the ascendancy in the first half.

Some changes after resumption made the Maltese team to back pedal, but defended stoutly to hold out Iceland’s reaction. Equally significant was Andrew Hogg’s superb goalkeeping, confirming the good patch of form the Valletta custodian is going through.

Iceland, who kept only thee players in the starting line-up from the previous match against Belarus, never really looked threatening in the first half, but pressed hard in the later part of the match, going close on more than one occasion and might have also deserved a draw.

Coach Fitzel reshuffled the Maltese team completely. Yesterday Ivan Woods was the only player in the Malta side who had started the match against Armenia.

Hogg played in goal as Wellman and Kenneth Scicluna started in defence. Luke Dimech, Malta’s captain in the absence of Gilbert Agius and Brian Said, played alongside Josef Mifsud in central defence.

The Marsaxlokk trio of Sammut, Pullicino and Pace, together with Cohen, crowded the midfield sector, with Woods in a slightly more advanced role to support our main striker Cleaven Frendo.

In his after match comments, Fitzel was pleased by the way the Maltese players pressed their opponents in the first half but was unhappy with the way we threw away possession quite easily when put under pressure. He liked the way Malta defended but wants to see much more improvement in attack.

Malta settled well and within the first ten minutes Woods and Cohen had already put efforts off target.

But Malta’s Hogg was the first keeper to be called into action, stretching himself to hold out a Bjarni Gudjonsson grounder.

On 17 minutes Malta broke the deadlock with the first goal of this tournament. Cleaven Frendo completely surprised the Iceland keeper with some clinical finish from the edge of the area inside the semi-circle.

That lead galvanised the side, who however lost Ivan Woods shortly after as he was forced to leave the pitch following an early head knock with an opponent. Barbara went in instead.

Malta kept some rhythm as they surged into enemy territory.

Past the half hour Cohen played a free kick to Frendo whose low shot took a wicked deflection into a corner. And before the half was gone, Sammut accelerated inside the Iceland area only to be denied by Gudjonsson’s block.

Malta made another two changes at the start of the second half as Dimech made way for Azzopardi, deployed as left back, as Wellman switched to the centre of defence and Gareth Sciberras went in for Pullicino in midfield.

Immediately Sammut drilled his shot low for keeper Thorgeirsson to block.

Iceland tried to venture out of their own half more often, raking crosses from the flanks, but keeper Hogg looked untroubled with his handling.

On 67 minutes Palmason’s shot from a distance went narrowly wide and when substitute Sigurdsson reached for Thorvaldsson’s cross before Hogg, he put his header off target.

As Iceland started to mount some sustained pressure, Sigurdsson won possession inside the area, beating Wellman’s challenge, but his shot was blocked into a corner.

Hogg held out a Palmason header and in the late stages he produced a superb save on Saevarsson goal bound effort.

Malta ended the match in defence as Iceland pressed hard for an equaliser, only to be denied by Sciberras’ headed clearance on the line deep into added time.

Belarus are Malta’s next opponents tomorrow.

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Malta: A. Hogg, J. Mifsud, S. Wellman, L. Dimech (I. Azzopardi), K. Sammut (R. Briffa), A. Cohen, I. Woods (E. Barbara) (G. Mallia), P. Pullicino (G. Sciberras), C. Frendo, K. Scicluna, J. Pace

Iceland: F. Thorgeirsson, B. Saevarsson, H. Jonsson, B. Gudjonsson, A. Thorarinsson, R. Sigurdsson, E. Hedinsson (T. Gudmundsson), D. Vidarsson, G. Thorvaldsson (J. Saevarsson), P. Palmason, B. Adalsteinsson (H. Sigurdsson)

Referee: A. Kalbakov (Belarus) Asst. refs: P. Agius, J. Camilleri 4th official: A. Tshagharyan

Scorers: C. Frendo