Match Report - Wales 3 - 1 Malta
17 Oct 2007
Players
| Wales |
|---|
| 1 |
Owain Fon Williams
|
| 3 |
Joe Jacobson
|
| 4 |
Joe Allen
|
| 5 |
Chris Gunter
|
| 6 |
Rhys Williams
|
| 8 |
Mark Bradley
|
| 9 |
Sam Vokes
|
| 11 |
David Cotterill
(c)
|
| 12 |
Aaron Ramsey
|
| 14 |
Mike Williams
|
| 18 |
Simon Church
|
| 21 |
Kyle Letheren (GK)
|
| 2 |
Darcy Blake
|
| 7 |
Shaun MacDonald
|
| 10 |
Kai Edwards
|
| 15 |
Neil Taylor
|
| 16 |
Lloyd James
|
| 17 |
Nicky Adams
|
| Malta |
|---|
| 1 |
Luke Woods
|
| 2 |
Steve Borg
|
| 3 |
Clayton Failla
|
| 4 |
Andreas Agius
|
| 5 |
Tyron Farrugia
|
| 6 |
Paul Fenech
|
| 7 |
Edmond Agius
|
| 8 |
Jonathan Caruana
|
| 9 |
Stephen Meilak
|
| 10 |
Ian Zammit
|
| 11 |
Dyson Falzon
|
| 12 |
Miguel Montfort
|
| 13 |
John Mintoff
|
| 14 |
Matthew Bartolo
|
| 15 |
Duncan Pisani
|
| 16 |
Clifford Baldacchino
|
| 17 |
Edward Herrera
|
| 18 |
Ryan Fenech
|
Substitutions
| On | Off | Minute |
|---|
| Shaun MacDonald |
Mark Bradley |
68 |
| Neil Taylor |
Joe Jacobson |
77 |
| On | Off | Minute |
|---|
| Matthew Bartolo |
Tyron Farrugia |
64 |
| Edward Herrera |
Stephen Meilak |
73 |
| Clifford Baldacchino |
Paul Fenech |
82 |
Goals
| Wales | Minute |
|---|
| Mike Williams
|
15 |
| Simon Church
|
40 |
| Sam Vokes
|
73 |
| Malta | Minute |
|---|
| Ian Zammit
|
80 |
Cards
| Malta | Minute |
|---|
 |
Dyson Falzon |
0 |
Officials
Referee: Igor Kister (Kazakhstan)
Assistant referee 1: Oleg Sokolov (Kazakhstan)
Assistant referee 2: Nurzhan Doskeyeev (Kazakhstan)
4th official: Pavel Saliy (Kazakhstan)
Other information
Attendance: 1,112
Report: Wales eased to first win of their Uefa Under 21 championships qualifying campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.
Goals from Mike Williams and Simon Church inside the first half and a Sam Vokes strike 17 minutes from time earned the points for Brian Flynn's side, who included senior caps Chris Gunter and David Cotterill in their line-up.
Now Wales face two games inside three days next month as they host Bosnia and France with the aim of qualification for the finals very much in mind.
Wales started brightly with captain Cotterill leading from the front, the Wigan forward steering one 14th minute shot just wide after good build up play with Church.
And sixty seconds later the hosts were ahead courtesy of defender Williams, controlling and shooting smartly past Maltese keeper Luke Woods from inside the box.
The strike capped a fine performance from 21-year-old Williams, who has found himself out of the Red Dragons' side in recent weeks.
With Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey looking like a partnership of real potential in midfield, Flynn's side controlled matters and keeper Owain Fon Williams - in for the injured Rhys Taylor of Chelsea - was only once called into action when he saved low to his left to stop Andrei Agius' attempt on 24 minutes.
Cardiff Ramsey has already been earmarked by Flynn as a future senior cap while Allen has been impressing Swansea fans all season with his progress at the Liberty Stadium and the two together offer real hope for Welsh supporters.
As the pair helped the hosts get a firm grip on proceedings, Wales should have been two up on 31 minutes, Mark Bradley shooting over from close range as the visitors buckled under pressure.
But five minutes from the break the goal came, Church heading home unmarked not long after Woods had saved well from a Chris Gunter drive.
Wales started the second half as they left off in the first, Church again going close on a couple of occasions as Malta chased the game and the red shirts aimed to kill the game off.
And it was Bournemouth forward Vokes who got the deserved third, meeting Cotterill's cross from wide left with a powerful header 17 minutes from time.
Malta grabbed a surprise consolation ten minutes from time through striker Ian Zammit's long-range effort, but that did not put a dampener on the victory.
TEAMS:
Wales - Fon Williams; Gunter, R Williams, M Williams, Jacobson (Taylor 77); Bradley (MacDonald 68), Allen, Ramsey, Church; Vokes, Cotterill (Cpt).
Subs: Edwards, Adams, Blake, James, Letheren (gk).
Malta - Woods; Borg, Carauna, A Agius, Failla; E Agius, P Fenech (Baldachino 82), Farrugia (Bartolo 64), Falzon; Meliak (Herrerea 73), Zammit.
Subs: Montfort, Mintoff, Pisani, R Fenech.
SCORERS:
Wales - M Williams 15, Church 40, Vokes 73
Malta - Zammit 80
REF: Igor Kister (KAZ)
ATT: 1112
