Football Association of Wales

Match Report - Malta 0 - 4 Wales

5 Feb 2008

Players

Substitutions

Goals

Cards

Officials

Referee: Luc Wilmens (Luxembourg)

Assistant referee 1: Christian Holtgen (Luxembourg)

Assistant referee 2: Francois Mangen (Luxembourg)

4th official: Paulo Ruguina Vivas (Luxembourg)

Other information

Attendance:

Report: IcWales reports:

Wales leapt to the top of their UEFA Under-21 qualifying group with an excellent win over Malta in Valletta this afternoon.

Two second-half goals from Ched Evans and one each from substitute Simon Church and defender Jack Collison settled things for Wales after they dominated the majority of the game.

Despite the margin of victory, the game was goalless at half-time and it took a set-piece to give the visitors the lead in the 62nd minute.

Joe Allen’s shirt was pulled by Steve Bezzina and Joe Jacobson’s resulting free-kick was headed in beautifully by Evans.

The second goal came 10 minutes from the final whistle. Edward Herrera failed to clear a low cross and Church pounced on the ball to make it 2-0.

Collison, who had previously sent a couple of headers wide, sealed things with a minute to go, slotting the ball into the corner of the six-yard box before Evans fired in his second from the penalty spot in injury time.

It was just reward for Wales as they threatened throughout the game with Shaun MacDonald and Aaron Ramsey controlling things in midfield, Ramsey taking the role of playmaker before his substitution on the hour.

The Cardiff City youngster, who only turned 17 on Boxing Day last year, created the first Welsh chance to score after only five minutes with MacDonald offside from the youngster’s silky chip.

Partnering Evans up front Sam Vokes also worked hard but struggle to find the back of the net.

The Bournemouth striker used his height to his advantage but his attempts were off-target, heading wide from a MacDonald cross early on before sailing the ball over the crossbar following a fine Joe Jacobson run down the wing.

Further chances for him to score came on the half-hour when his cross-cum-shot was handled well by Miguel Montfort in the Malta goal and midway through the second half when he failed to get on the end of a Jacobson corner.

MacDonald starred for the Welsh as potential provider and goal scorer but his personal efforts did not come to fruition.

His cross on 20 minutes went too far for Evans and when the roles were reversed 10 minutes later it was the Swansea man who fired over the crossbar.

The home side had few chances to score with just one chance in the first half and that was from a Rhys Williams mistake where Ian Zammit shot wide with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Dyson Falzon also had an early chance for Malta in the second half when he swung a potentially dangerous free-kick into the box and no-one was able to latch onto the cross.

Wales are now a point ahead of both France and Romania in Group 10 with a game in hand on the French, who they have already played twice and with just three matches remaining Wales only need to win two matches to finish top of the group.

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