MALTA 7
ROMANIA 13
(2-3, 2-3, 2-4, 1-3)
With a place in next January’s European Champions in Budapest already secured, Malta were determined to clinch top spot in Group C of EWPC Qualification Tournament at the National Pool yesterday.
The team’s recent achievements in the international scene have inevitably raised the expectations as retaining our status among the top 16 teams in Europe has become something well within our reach.
So, Karl Izzo’s side wanted to go the extra-mile but the final game of the tournament turned out to be difficult for the Maltese as Romania were determined to win and pip the local to top spot in the group.
The dominant Romanians beat Malta 13-7 in what was not a disappointing performance for Malta.
Yesterday’s game was overshadowed by some controversial refereeing decisions which undermined the Maltese team.
Steve Camilleri was dismissed in the second session, Matthew Zammit was excluded in the last session before Izzo was shown the yellow card twice but not expelled.
Romania built their victory in the late sessions as the Maltese struggled to keep abreast with their opponents.
The definite turning point of the match arrived just before the change of ends, when Camilleri was dismissed with substitution for brutality, a very controversial decision which effectively sealed the outcome in Romania’s favour.
After a quiet start, Romania won a penalty which Tiberiu Negrean failed to convert.
However, the visitors opened the score after four minutes through Andrei Prioteasa but the hosts equalised through Camilleri when he spotted that the Romanian goalkeeper slightly out of position.
Romania regained their advantage with Tudor Fulea before Prioteasa scored their third goal. Matthew Zammit opened his account when he converted the second man-up situation that came Malta’s way.
Early in the second session, Malta slowed down the pace as Romania took a 5-2 lead, which was trimmed down to 5-4 when Camilleri scored twice in quick session.
Negrean restored a two-goal cushion for the visitors. Then came the definite turning point of the match when Camilleri was dismissed with substitution for brutality much to the hosts’ chargrin.
In fact, the Maltese looked like collapsing after the change of ends, when Romania went 8-4 ahead but Izzo’s men refused to fold and Matthew Zammit showed the way with a reassuring class act which provided oxygen for his colleagues when he first earned a man-up situation and then converted it with aplomb.
Jordan Camilleri who did a good job in defence, made it 8-6. But Negrean scored the ninth for Romania followed closely by the tenth by Gheorghe.
Matthew Zammit was fouled out at the beginning of the last session and that made it even stiffer for Malta to mount a rescue operation.
Romania’s better array of potential scorers, their superior man-up statistic, and their timely breaks proved too much for Malta.
However, yesterday’s defeat should not take too much away from what was another big achievement for the national waterpolo team.
Malta: N. Grixti, J. Gabarretta, M. Spiteri Staines, G. Pace, Darren Zammit, M. Zammit 2, S. Camilleri 3, J. Camilleri 1, J. Abela 1, A. Cousin, B. Plumpton, Dino Zammit, A. Borg Cole.
Romania: M. Tic, L. Vancsik, T. Negrean 4, M. Gheorghe 3, V. Antipa, A. Prioteasa 2, V. Georgescu, T. Fulea 1, V. Dragomirescu 1, N. Oanta 2, A. Ghiban, I. Szabo, S. Abrudan.
Referees: Ruben Garcia (Switzerland), Sebastien Dervieux (France).
FINAL STANDINGS
Romania 6; Malta 3; Portugal 0.