Malta U-21 coach Gilbert Agius lavished praise on his Malta U-21 players as the youngsters were off to a storming start in the UEFA U-21 campaign after thumping Northern Ireland 4-1 at the Centenary Stadium on Friday.
Goals from Jake Engerer, a Mattia Veselji brace, and an Ayrton Attard screamer earned the Maltese youngsters an impressive and deserved victory at the Centenary Stadium, and coach Gilbert Agius could not hide his delight at the end of the match.
“I am so proud of this group,” Agius said.
“Before the match I told the player that we have to start this game very strong so that we can remember it for a long time.
“I have no doubt that the players will cherish this match for a long time and that is why I am so happy for them.
“However, I have already made it clear to the players that we still have a long way to go and there is still a lot and a lot of work still to be done.
“But at the moment, all credit should go to the players who gave everything they had and surely they fully deserve this result.”
The win over Northern Ireland will be a huge tonic for the Malta U-21 team who are now set for a tougher assignment on Tuesday when they take on Russia in Khimki.
