PORTUGAL 9
MALTA 10
(4-2, 2-2, 2-5, 1-1)
PORTUGAL
C. Gomes, R. Teixeira, Xavier Sousa 1, J. Costa , D. Sobetchi, Pedro Sousa 2 , R. Ramos 2 , S. Lopes 1, Ricardo Sousa 1, D. Pinto, L. Abreu, T. Parati 2, S. Veiga, J. Moreira.
MALTA
J. Tanti, L. Galea 1 , A. Galea , M. Castillo , S. Gialanzè , B. Cachia , S.Camilleri 3, J. Cutajar 2, J. Abela , N. Zammit 2 , D. Zammit 1 , M Azzopardi, B. Busuttil, J. Bonavia 1
For a team that slumped to a heart-breaking defeat against Portugal barely a week ago and trailing by three goals in the first session, Malta’s resurgence was something to be commended on Saturday.
After changing ends 6-4 down, the Maltese, guided by coach Milan Cirovic, produced a third-session fightback, sparked by two goals from Jayden Cutajar and Nikolai Zammit as well as another netting from Jake Bonavia, to turn the match around in their first classification match.
All Malta’s manjack played their hearts out but the main architects of the victory were Steve Camilleri, author of another hat-trick, and Cutajar and Zammit, scorers of a brace.
Again, and as was the case in all preceding matches, Camilleri, ever-present in the water, showed his team-mates the way, not only by providing the goals in open play but also how to keep their nerves under control from the five-metre line.
Camilleri has topped our scorers’ list with three more goals to make it a total of 15 goals in all matches.
Malta also had to thank a stout rearguard which had goalkeeper Jake Tanti pulling some fine saves at crucial moments during the match, including vital blocks on Samuel Pinto Veiga and Pedro Moura de Sousa from penalties.
The Portuguese had won the first session 4-2, after which four goals were shared in the second.
However, a pep talk by Cirovic during the longer interval shook off Malta’s inertia as they fought back admirably to win the third part of the game 5-2, thus taking the leading on 9-8 after Bonavia netted from a tight angle.
In the last session, Malta kept their opponents at arms’ length after Camilleri made it 10-8.
Pedro Sousa reduced arrears but Malta navigated their boat in admirable fashion, making their opponents run into labyrinths, suffocating any reaction from the Portuguese.
Malta will now play for the fifth place on Saturday at 3.30pm.
