POLAND 6
MALTA 7
(3-1, 1-3, 1-1, 1-2)
The Malta waterpolo Under 15 national team have assured themselves of a top 12 placing at the European Championship finals when they beat Poland 7-6 in a thrilling encounter in Podgorica.
After Wednesday’s heart-breaking 12-10 defeat to the Netherlands, that denied the team a place in the quarter-finals, Jonathan Valletta’s troops were determined to bounce back in style with victory over Poland.
And the Maltese youngsters delivered the good as despite a tough start to the match they managed to rally back to secure a victory that earned the team a top 12 placings in these championships, an historic feat for Malta in this age group.
The match turned out into another nailbiting affair with nothing separating either side.
Poland were the fastest out of the blocks as they race into a commanding 3-1 lead at the end of the first session with Malta managing to find the net just once through Andre Aquilina.
But Malta’s response arrived in the second quarter, as Valletta’s boys found their scoring touch, netting three times without reply through Shailin Cutajar Casha, twice, and another from Sam Engerer to go 4-3 up.
Poland scored late on to go into the interval level at four-all.
The third session saw both teams fighting tooth and nail with goals hard to come by. In fact Jamie Borg Tabone put the Maltese 5-4 up but the Poles levelled matters throguh Jan Zabski.
Borg Tabone put Malta back in front through a penalty early in the fourth session and although Poland equalised through Mateusz Jasek, it was the Maltese h had the final say as Andre Aquilna netted the winner.
Malta will now be again in action today when they are involved in teh paly-off palcings from the ninth place to 12th place.
