A Haley Bugeja hat-trick was the driving force behind a comfortable 4-0 win for Malta over Georgia on Thursday afternoon.

Malta faced Georgia in Group B of the qualification phase for the Women’s 2022 European Championships.

Shona Zammit, who currently plies her trade with Swieqi United after a year with Pink Bari in Italy, opened the score after 34 minutes, turning home a Haley Bugeja cross from close range after some great play out on the left wing.

It was Bugeja – who has been a revelation with Serie A side Sassuolo in Italy so far this season – who doubled the score ten minutes later with a low finish into the bottom corner after the Maltese attack won the ball from Georgia in their own third.

Coach Mark Gatt made one change during the break, with Maria Farrugia, who plays in the UK with Sunderland, coming on for Rachel Cuschieri, who plays in Italy with Lazio.

It took only five minutes for the score to increase once more.

Haley Bugeja this time received the ball on the halfway line, powered past one defender, before deftly turning back onto her right foot inside the box to finish beyond Georgia’s goalkeeper to make it 3-0.

Bugeja sealed her hat-trick six minutes later after she latched on to a fantastic Zammit through ball and blasted the ball past Georgia’s goalkeeper.

Jade Flask, Martina Borg, and Kayleigh Chetcuti all then came off the bench as the Maltese side retained the cleansheet.

The win is Malta’s second in the competition as it draws to a close, with the previous win coming against Georgia as well with a 2-1 scoreline.  It is the national team's first away win in the group, and their first cleansheet as well.

With 7 points so far, it is also the highest number of points achieved by Malta in this competition, and it guarantees Malta's best ever finish in a qualifying group.

Malta will face Israel on 1 December to bring the qualifying campaign to a close.  Their previous match against Israel finished in a 1-1 draw.

Starting Lineup for Malta:

Janice Xuereb (GK), Emma Lipman, Stephania Farrugia, Dorianne Theuma (C), Rachel Cuschieri, Alishia Sultana, Shona Zammit, Charlene Zammit, Brenda Borg, Nicole Sciberras, Haley Bugeja.

Substitutes Bench:

Patricia Ebejer, (GK) Maya Lucia, Martina Borg, Ylenia Carabott, Veronique Mifsud, Maria Farrugia, Jade Flask, Kayleigh Chetcuti, Emma Xuereb.