Another convincing win for Malta
Malta Cyprus
It was another glorious day for the Maltese national team yesterday as, despite the bad weather, Damian Neill’s boys ran out easy 31-3 winners against Cyprus for a second consecutive win in the European Championship Conference South 1.
Last week, Malta had emerged 63-15 winners against Andorra.
Malta attacked for long stretches and were always in command despite being hampered by the bad weather conditions – the wind and the rain.
Cyprus took the lead on 36 minutes through a Zavallis penalty, but the Maltese reacted quickly to this setback and Daniel Holliday scored a try before the interval with James Morris converting from a few metres.
The score became 14-3 early in the second half after a James Kirk try and another James Morris conversion.
James Kirk then scored another try but
Results 31 3
Morris this time failed to convert.
Malta had to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men as Luke Watts received a yellow card, but they were still good enough to add another five points to their total through Rory O’Brien.
The final points arrived near the end through a Dragan Cerketa try and another James Morris conversion.
Malta: R. Apsee, D. Holliday (5), A. Harvey, D. Deguara, M. Davey, L. Watts, D. Apsee, J. Basher, T. Holloway, T. Quarendon, G. Hepburn, D. Busuttil, R. Holloway, J. Kirk (10), J. Morris (6)
Substitutes: D. Cerketa (5), N. Gatt, R. O’Brien (5), B. Borg, J. Galea, M. Spiteri, I. Bezzina, J. Debattista
Cyprus: D. Grigoriou, M. Zakakiotis, C. Kasabi, A. Antoniou, J. Bilton, Y. Blond, C. Joannou, L. Frixou, G. Shaouna, A. Zavallis (3), P. Nikolaidis, S. Emery, G. Agathokleous, A. Fell, M. King Substitutes: M. Maratheftis, M. Vasili Referee: Ariel Cabral (Israel)