POLAND 9 MALTA 7

Poland won through for a match with Turkey to determine seventh place after a narrow victory over Malta.

Poland, who finished fourth in Group B, won the first and second quarters by two goals to be four-up at half-time. But Malta scored four goals without reply in the third to move into the ascendancy, only for Poland to step up again to win the fourth.

Poland went ahead through Tomasz Rozycki after Malta captain Paul Privitera was excluded. Malta missed the chance to level when Marek Debski and then Rafal Wocik were sent out and Poland scored again through Robert Sekula.

Debski put Poland three-up early in the second, but Malta pulled one back when Jurgen Borg scored after Debski had received his second personal foul. Piotr Wojcik restored the three-goal advantage with an accurate outside shot. Wojcik claimed his second of the game from a penalty, which was given away by Michele Stellini. Steve Camilleri scored but then Rozycki scored his second with 1.8 seconds of the half remaining.

A resurgent Malta stormed to within one goal following the third period. Camilleri scored his second of the game and then Stellini got on the score-sheet following Wocik’s personal foul. Poland missed the chance to extend their lead when Karl Montfort was sent out for a second time. Matthew Zammit was excluded but Poland could not capitalise and the Malta centre forward was next to score, reducing the deficit to one with 17.7 seconds of the period left.

Sekula scored early in the fourth to regain the two-goal lead and reverse the tide once more. But Zammit hit back for Malta with a centre-forward strike. Wojciech Leszek picked up his third major but Zammit fired over from the 6-on-5. Debski got his second with a powerful outside shot.

Debski then picked up his second exclusion after being excluded alongside Wojcik, and Camilleri netted his third. Sekula replied with his third with 1:03 to go to take the lead to two once more. Wocik then received his third personal foul, but again Malta’s man-up failed and they could not find the two goals they needed.

Result: 9-7 (2-0; 4-2; 0-4; 3-2)

Poland: 1 Michal Diakonow (Capt), 2 Marcin Scierwicki, 3 Piotr Michalski, 4 Adam Perka, 5 Marek Debski (2 goals), 6 Pawel Ulchurski, 7 Tomasz Rozycki (2), 8 Michal Bar, 9 Radoslaw Haraczko, 10 Robert Sekula (3), 11 Piotr Wojcik (2), 12 Wojciech Leszek, 13 Rafal Wocik

Malta: 1 Josie Cachia, 2 Niki Lanzon, 3 Paul Fava, 4 Paul Privitera (Capt), 5 Mark Meli, 6 John Soler, 7 Steve Camilleri (3 goals), 8 Jurgen Borg (1), 9 Karl Montfort, 10 Matthew Zammit (2), 11 Clint Mercieca, 12 Michele Stellini (1), 13 Ian Bugeja

 

TURKEY 12 ISRAEL 10

Turkey won the tussle of the nations on the eastern edge of Europe to earn the chance of a seventh-place finish at the LEN European Nations Trophy.

The near-neighbours – Tel Aviv and Istanbul are separated by 696 air miles, with Tel Aviv some 2350 air miles from Manchester – shared a one-sided display until the final period when Israel cut the gap. Turkey will now take on either Poland or Malta in Sunday’s 7-8th-place play-off. Israel will play the loser of that encounter, aiming for ninth.

A barnstorming first-quarter display from Turkey – they scored five goals without reply – put the result beyond doubt. Captain Halil Beskardesuer scored four times, while Or Keren replied with three for Israel, who scored six times in the final period.

Captain Halil Beskardesuer opened the scoring after 22 seconds, before a swift second from Aytag Yegin.  Yegin scored his second when Itamar Schwartz was excluded and Can Guven scored a fourth. Berk Gunkut opened his account to complete the scoring for the quarter.

Turkey eased off in the second, but it took Israel until midway through to get on the score-sheet through Maoz Gaver. Guven responded for Turkey to stay five-ahead at half-time.

Turkey failed to take advantage when Israel had Or Keren and Ofir Golombek excluded simultaneously, but then called a time-out when Dolev Koifman received his third personal foul. Gunkut converted from the left wing on the 6-on-5. Israel skipper Amit Seker replied with a fast break goal.

Seker scored his second when Atila Sezer conceded a penalty. But Beskardesuer replied quickly after Gaver’s exclusion. Ruso Yakimouig scored from the right wing to establish a six-goal lead with 1:40 left in the third. Yakimouig was sent out and Or Keren scored Israel’s fourth. Gunkut got his third to take Turkey to double figures.

Navot Luria and Beskardesuer exchanged extra-man goals. Gaver then netted for a second time after Anil Sonmez was sent out. Gil Lunliner arrowed the ball into the top corner to move Israel within four, but Beskardesuer grabbed another immediately. Or Keren replied with a five-metre shot and Luria scored his second with less than two minutes left and Or Keren scored his second of the period but it proved too late for Israel.

Result: 12-10 (5-0; 1-1; 4-3; 2-6)

Turkey: 1 Atila Sezer, 2 Ali Can Gagatay, 3 Omer Yaman, 4 Anil Sonmez, 5 Ruso Yakimouig (1 goal), 6 Hakan Hatipoglu, 7 Sezai Kiziltan (1), 8 Berk Gunkut (3), 9 Aytag Yegin (2), 10 Emre Coskun, 11 Halil Beskardesuer (Capt, 4), 12 Can Guven (1), 13 Tan Diptas

Israel: 1 Itamar Inbar, 2 Shy Hemed, 3 Ofir Golombek, 4 Navot Luria (2 goals), 5 Maoz Gaver (2), 6 Or Keren (3), 7 Gil Lunliner (1), 8 Amit Seker (Capt, 2) 9 Ayal Keren, 10 Ori Raz, 11 Dolev Koifman, 12 Itamar Schwartz, 13 Alex Malkis