Sloppy Malta U-21 suffer heavy defeat in Kazakhstan

KAZAKHSTAN 4

Sviridov 28, 80; Abdulla 50

Zhumakhanov 90 pen

MALTA            1

Zammit 72 pen.

KAZAKHSTAN

T. Anarbekov, D. Kassabulat, A. Shirobokov, A. Zhumakhanov, M. Kalmyrza (69 M. Askarov), Y. Kaldybekov (62 O. Baibek), A. Nazymkhanov, A. Abdulla (69 B. Galym), A. Aimanov (62 Y. Trufanov), G. Kenzhebek (84 D. Ankudinov), I. Sviridov.

MALTA

H. Sacco, N. Micallef, M. Ellul, J. Micallef, O. Spiteri, K. Bondin, A. Borg, D. Scicluna (67 A. Zammit), A. Garzia (11 K. Mohnani), B. Tuma (83 D. Letherby), M. Veselji.  

Referee: Andreas Argyrou (Cyprus).

Yellow cards: Spiteri, Abdulla, Bondin, Shirobokov, Aimanov.

Red card: Bondin (M) 79.

Ivan Sviridov punished a sloppy Malta U-21 side with a well-taken brace as Kazakhstan roared to a convincing victory in a European Championship qualifier in Almaty on Thursday.

It was poor performance from the Malta youngsters who struggled to keep the pace with the well-drilled Kazakhi side who were on top for much of the match and punished the Maltese individual defensive errors when surging two goals ahead.

The Maltese did try to fight back after the break, particularly after the introduction of Andrea Zammit, who handed the team a lifeline when winning and converting a penalty.

But Malta’s defensive frailties came back to haunt them late on as they conceded two other cheap goals to suffer their seventh successive defeat and remain bottom of the group with no points.

Malta will now hope to at least pick up their first points when they face Scotland at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

Kazakhstan took the ground running and they dominated play right from the outset with the visitors looking to close all avenues.

After nine minutes, Aibar Abdulla raced clear on the left and served Alen Aimanov who fired just wide.

Malta coach Ivan Woods lost Aleandro Garzia to injury after 10 minutes and replaced him with Karl Mohnani.

The home side continued to hold control of proceedings but scoring chances remained few far between with the Maltese showing little creativity upfront.

The match craved for a moment of genius to come into life and that was provided by the home side on 29 minutes.

The Kazakh players won possession in midfield and Abdulla chipped the ball into the path of Ivan Sviridov who let fly a spectacular volley from the edge of the area that gave no chance to Malta goalkeeper Hugo Sacco.

Malta tried to regroup but they struggled to create any danger to their opponents as their forwards Mattija Veselji and Basil Tuma looked too much isolated upfront.

Instead it was the hosts who came close to doubling their lead just before the half-time whistle when Aimanov let fly a rising shot that hit the bar before finishing out of play.

Kazakhstan made a fast start to the second half as they added a second goal on 50 minutes.

In a quick break, Kenzhebek broke clear and fed the sprinting Abdulla who hit a low drive that passed through the hands of Sacco and into the net.

The Maltese tried to recover from this setback and a minute later Dylan Scicluna saw his volley pushed away by Kazakh goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov.

On the hour, the visitors came close when they were awarded a central free-kick and Veselji’s shot finished just past the upright.

Andrea Zammit was roped in just past the hour for Scicluna and the Birkirkara forward made an instant impact.

In fact on 68 minutes Zammit was brought down in the area by Shirobokov and from the resultant penalty he sent Anarbekov the wrong way to pull a goal back for Malta.

Any hope of a comeback were extinguished on 78 minutes when first Kurt Bondin was dismissed for asecond bookable offence. And from the resultant free-kick, Sviridov was left unmarked to head in his team’s third goal from close in.

Things got even worse for Malta as they conceded a penalty a minute from time when Mohnani tripped Ankudinov inside the area and from the spot Zhumakhanov made no mistake to seal a convincing win for Kazakhstan.