Malta succumbed to yet another home defeat, going down to Israel with another opaque performance at Ta’ Qali yesterday. It was a most bitter end to their commitments in this EURO 2012 qualifying campaign, almost in the same way it had started against the same opponents in September last year.

Without a win in ten matches, Malta finished bottom of the Group, with only one point to show.

Malta failed to recover from the defeat and trip in Riga four days earlier and were unable to make a decent reaction in this last home match against lamentable opponents. What was more worrisome was the collective lack of cohesion, some desperate defending and toothless forward play.

The team made five changes from the match against Latvia. Michael Mifsud and Jonathan Caruana were declared fit to start yesterday as Clayton Failla and Andrew Cohen were suspended. Coach Buttigieg also deemed it fit to give Carlo Mamo, Paul Fenech and Ivan Woods the nod as Steve Borg, Andre Schembri and Jamie Pace were relegated to the bench.

Although the module remained unchanged, with Mifsud our most advanced player and five men crowding the midfield, Hutchinson and Sciberras were the two holding midfielders with Fenech wide on the right.

Israel might have been deprived of several regulars, but the players who performed instead, some under the age of 23, showed commitment, in a bid to restore some of their country’s pride in these qualifiers. They played an offensive game, attacking with two and even three forwards.

Malta’s defence went through some anxious moments during the first half, although Malta created the first opportunity after only four minutes when Mifsud played one-two with Woods, advanced from the left but shot against the side netting.

Israel soon threatened. Buzaglo played the ball square to Hemed who laid it in the path of Refaelov. His shot went narrowly over.

That was the prelude to their goal after 11 minutes. Despite marked by two opponents, the dangerous Tawatha managed to play a short pass from the byeline on the left for Lior Refaelov to flick the ball in and score his third international goal.

Israel almost doubled their lead two minutes later. Hemed’s cross was partially intercepted by keeper Hogg, the ball fell to the unmarked Buzaglo whose shot was providentially blocked into a corner by Caruana.

Israel kept the initiative and on 22 minutes, Hemed put Sahar through. Briffa ran between the player and the keeper to clear into a corner.

In a rare Maltese counter, Mifsud shot through an array of legs from the edge of the area but keeper Aouate saved.

But that failed to interrupt the Israeli momentum as they kept pushing forward with alarming ease. On Bondaru’s incursion from the right, Golsa’s squeezed shot was deflected into a corner. On 33 minutes, keeper Hogg did well to hold out Hemed’s header on Tawatha’s cross from the left and Israel again looked menacing on 36 minutes. Hogg was caught off his line on Refaelov’s cross from the left but luckily Sahar put his header off target.

Just before the break, another dangerous Rafaelov shot was deflected into another corner by Agius. Malta were lucky to go in only a goal down at halftime.

But even after being forced to substitute the injured Refaelov, Israel still remained superior and on 51 minutes were unlucky when Sahar’s shot was held out by keeper Hogg and the same Israel player headed the loose ball against the bar.

Malta remained mostly impotent going forward, derailed of ideas and short of creativity that the likes of Cohen and Failla might have produced.

On 56 minutes Sciberras found an opening but his shot missed the target, confirming the Birkirkara player’s present poor form.

But Sciberras was unlucky on 72 minutes when he connected well to Mamo’s cross with his header which rebounded off the underside of the bar.

Some minutes earlier, Edward Herrera had gone in for Fenech but tactically nothing changed for the Maltese.

With Israel more cautious and putting men behind the ball, Malta were allowed few spaces.

Late tame efforts from Mifsud did not produce anything while on the other end, Hogg tipped Natcho’s free kick over the bar before being rendered helpless by Israel’s second goal deep into three minute of added time.

Defender Rami Gershon rose high inside the area to head in another sailing Natcho free kick from the right and complete Malta’s misery on the night.

Malta A. Hogg, J. Caruana (S. Borg), C. Mamo, G. Sciberras, A. Agius, R. Fenech, R. Briffa, M. Mifsud, P. Fenech (E. Herrera), J. Hutchinson, I. Woods (C. Caruana)

Israel D. Aoute, D. Bondaru (G. Vermouth), T. Tawatha, R. Gershon, N. Biton, M. Buzaglo, B. Natcho, E. Golsa, L. Refaelov (A. Cohen), B, Sahar (T. Ben Haim), T. Hemed

Referee B. Paixao (Portugal)

Scorers L. Refaelov 11, R. Gershon 90+

Yellow cards I. Woods, A. Agius

Attendance 2,164