Superior France end Malta’s Top 12 aspirations at European Championship finals

Jake Muscat sent home for disciplinary reasons

Malta’s aspirations of securing a historic Top 12 placing at the European Waterpolo Championship finals are all but over after suffering a comprehensive 22-13 defeat to France in Belgrade on Monday.

Expectations were high that Milan Cirovic’s boys could provide a strong challenge for the French and battle for what would have been a crucial victory that would handed the team a prestigious third place in the group.

But the match turned out to be a tough outing for the Maltese side, who struggled to stay competitive against the French side who led the match from start to finish.

The build-up to the match did little to help Malta coach Cirovic and his players following the fact that Jake Muscat had been sent home for disciplinary reasons.

Earlier in the day, ASA president Karl Izzo confirmed to The Times of Malta that Muscat was ordered to leave the team and return home after he was involved in a series of disciplinary incidents in Belgrade.

Muscat’s place in the team now was taken by Jake Bonavia.

The first session saw the French take control of the match when they raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of goals from Romain Marion-Vernoux and Killian Braise-Fernandez.

Steve Camilleri pulled a goal back from a penalty, but the French restored their two-goal lead courtesy of another penalty scored by Alexandre Bouet before Thomas Vernoux made it 4-1

Malta kept fighting, and goals from Nikolai Zammit and Elijah Schembri bridged the gap to just one goal, 4-3.

Goals at either side from Bouet and Plumpton maintained the one-goal margin.

Camilleri had the chance to make it five-all, but his shot was saved, and instead it was Steve Vitrant who made it 6-4 at the end of the first session.

The French stepped up a gear in the second session, scoring twice without reply through Vernoux and Marion-Vernoux to stretch their lead to 8-4.

Camilleri finally got Malta on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, but Braise-Fernandez immediately restored their four-goal advantage – 9-5.

Steven Vitrant piled more misery with a fine lob to make it 10-5 before he again struck from a couple of metres out after taking a short rebound.

Liam Galea finally put his name on the scoresheet with a goal from distance to change ends 6-11 behind.

The French kept piling up the goals with Marion-Vernoux hitting twice, along with further nettings from Alexis Drahe, Bouet, Braise Fernandez, and Vernoux.

Malta scored just three times through Ben Plumpton, Matthew Zammit, and Steve Camilleri to start the final session 17-9 ahead.

The fourth quarter was just academic as the French looked home and dry.

Still, the Maltese tried to put up a fight and try to make the score more respectable.

The French found the target five times, with the Maltese managing to respond with four goals from Ivan Nagaev, Alec Fenech, Darren Zammit, and Jake Bonavia as the French ran out as easy winners on 22-13.

Malta will be up against Hungary tomorrow, another tough test against one of the tournament favourites, and it is hoped the match can help the team step up their game ahead of the crucial positional play-offs for 13th to 16th place.