Slick City too hot for Keflavik

Valletta 3
Falzon 25; Priso 49; Den Ouden 72
Keflavik 0

Valletta coach Ton Caanen called on his players to think positive ahead of their home encounter with Keflavik.

His advice was certainly heeded as the Whites produced an exhilarating display to rip their Icelandic opponents apart as the final 3-0 scoreline clearly indicates.

Exuding confidence from the outset, Valletta tore into Keflavik who found the effective movement and pace of the City players, particularly Doding Priso and Dyson Falzon, too hot to handle.

It was evident from the opening stages that Keflavik were there for the taking and Valletta seized the chance to bolster their prospects of setting up a second qualifying round match against Ireland's St Patrick's. In doing so, the Citizens also gave Maltese football much-needed boost after a catalogue of disastrous results in European competitions in the last decade.

In fact, the last victories in Europe came in 2004 when Hibs beat Slaven Belupo 2-1 (Intertoto Cup) and Birkirkara beat P. Tirana 2-1 (UEFA Cup).

Caanen favoured a fluid 4-1-4-1 formation that had captain Gilbert Agius taking up screening duties in front of defence.

Dutch forward Geert den Ouden was Valletta's target man up front as the roaming Jordi Cruyff was given instructions to link midfield and attack.

The game was only two minutes old when Falzon's centre from a free-kick was nodded on by Cruyff towards Den Ouden who beat his marker but his tame back-heel posed no danger to the Keflavik keeper.

Valletta had the more enterprising start but their early pressure failed to unhinge Keflavik whose coach Kristjan Gudmundsson opted for a prudent 4-5-1 approach.

The initial exchanges ought to have strengthened Valletta's belief that victory here was an achievable target as Keflavik looked an ordinary side.

Midway into the first half, Kenneth Scicluna spotted Cruyff running into the area and duly picked him out with an excellent pass. The Dutchman raised his leg to bring the ball down but his first touch was heavy and Lasse Jorgensen saved.

This was the preamble to Valletta's opener which came a minute later. Priso's through-pass released Den Ouden who closed in on goal but his central shot came off the goalkeeper. The loose ball bounced across the goal-line and Falzon was on hand to tap home from routine distance. One-nil to City.

Buoyed by their breakthrough, Valletta sought to exert more pressure on Keflavik who were struggling to cope with the sweltering heat.

Falzon, a dynamic figure on the right wing, hit a diagonal shot but Jorgensen saved. Retrieving what looked like an overhit pass from Roderick Briffa, initially deployed at right-back, Cruyff fired a shot from an acute angle but the ball hit the upright.

It was all Valletta now, Priso shooting wide after being set up by Den Ouden.

Caanen was clearly intent on making the most of the versatile qualities of his players as Briffa swapped positions with Bezzina and Agius dovetailed with Cruyff in the latter stages of the opening half.

The Citizens should have doubled their lead soon after the restart but Priso flicked Bezzina's cross wide.

Priso redeemed himself when, with four minutes of the second half gone, he tucked his shot between Jorgensen's legs after Briffa had released the Cameroonian winger with a raking pass.

Backed by their vocal fans, the Citizens maintained a high tempo as Keflavik looked shell-shocked. Cruyff did well to slip a pass to Den Ouden but the latter's grounder was deflected away for a corner.

The rhythm dropped as the second half wore on but the home team remained in control. Den Ouden made a good run on the left before passing back to Falzon but the latter's effort lacked power and accuracy.

A fast City counter-attack, started by Bezzina, finished with Priso setting up Den Ouden who blasted wide of the near post.

But, Valletta made it 3-0 with 18 minutes left. Their new Dutch signings conjured their third goal as Cruyff's defence-splitting pass sent Den Ouden clear and the towering forward drilled a low shot past Jorgensen.

Eleven minutes from time, Hogg kept Valletta's 3-0 lead intact when saving Hordur Sveinsson's header.

Ian Zammit, who had just replaced Falzon, could have made it 4-0 when Gilbert Agius's lofted pass found him unmarked but the City striker fluffed his chance.

At the other end, Simon Samuelsen's speculative shot was deflected towards goal by Gudjon Arni Antoninsson but Hogg saved.

From the ensuing action, Priso surged clear before laying the ball back for Edmond Agius but the latter miscued his shot.

Valletta
A.Hogg, R. Briffa, L. Dimech, K. Scicluna, S. Bezzina, J. Pace ('76 E. Agius), J. Cruyff, G. Agius, D. Priso, D. Falzon ('82 I. Zammit), G. Den Ouden ('90 S. Giglio).

Keflavik
L. Jorgensen, A. Sutej, G. Antoninsson, N. Jorgensen, G.J. Eysteinsson ('72 T.M. Matthiasson), N. Sveinsson, S. Samuelsen, M. Thorsteinsson, E.O. Einarsson, B.H. Adalsteinsson, B.E. Gudmundsson ('85 S.O. Arnarson).

Referee: P. Radovanovic (Montenegro).

Yellow cards: Thorsteinsson; Samuelsson.