Brazil edge Malta water polo in World Cup Division II thriller

BRAZIL            11

MALTA             10

(4-5, 3-2, 2-2, 2-1)

The Malta women’s water polo national team suffered a heartbreaking 11-10 defeat to Brazil in their opening match of the World Cup Division II that is being held in Malta.

Aurelien Cousin’s girls produced a fighting display against their South American counterparts and looked as though they could go on and open the match on a winning note.

However, the Brazilians showed all their experience in the final session when they surged into a two-goal lead and managed to hold on to the lead till the end.

Still, it was a very heartening performance from the Maltese side, who had Jensine Bugelli and Elena Borg as their leading scorers with a hat-trick.

The first session turned out to be a hard-fought affair with Borg scoring twice to put the hosts 2-1 up before goals from Kendra Navarro, another from Borg and Martha Perici Ferrante ensured Malta led 5-4.

The second session saw Malta holding their own as they managed to lead 7-5 following goals by Bugelli and Perici Ferrante.

But the Brazilians fought back to level the match at seven-all before Navarro and Bugelli ensured that Malta head into the third session level at 9-all.

 In the final session, goals dried up but in the final part of the match, the Brazilians struck twice in quick succession to take an 11-9 lead.

Bugelli pulled one back with less than a minute and 45 seconds to go but it was too little too late as the Maltese could not find an equaliser.