Fetfatzidis double fires Greece past Malta
Reuters - Saturday 04 June 2011, 20:57
ATHENS - Greece regained control of Euro
2012 qualifying Group F thanks to a 3-1 home win over Malta
after Giannis Fetfatzidis scored twice on Saturday.
First-half goals by the diminutive forward and 19-year-old
debutant Kyriakos Papadopoulos put Fernando Santos's team firmly
in charge at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium.
Michael Mifsud pulled one back for Malta just after half-time
but Fetfatzidis calmed the home side's nerves with his second of
the night just after the hour to seal the three points.
Greece regained top spot after Croatia briefly led the group
with a 2-1 home win over Georgia on Friday. Greece have 14
points with Croatia a point behind also after six matches while
Israel are third on 10 from seven following a 2-1 win in Latvia.
The hosts began brightly in Piraeus and were ahead after
just eight minutes, Fetfatzidis tapping home after a precise low
centre from his Olympiakos team-mate Vassilis Torossidis.
Malta struggled to get hold of the ball as Greece continued
to press forward, and the home side were 2-0 up in the 26th
minute when Kyriakos Papadopoulos surged into the area and
headed home captain Giorgos Karagounis' free-kick.
John Buttigieg's Malta team got back into the game nine
minutes after the break when Mifsud slotted home after some
sloppy defending and their substitute Andrew Cohen was unlucky
when his long-range drive cannoned back off the left post.
But the game was put to bed by Fetfatzidis after 64 minutes,
the talented winger slotting into an empty net after goalkeeper
Andrew Hogg had parried Dimitris Salpingidis's cross.
The result means Santos is undefeated in 10 matches as
Greece coach since taking the helm after the 2010 World Cup.
Greece visit Israel in their next qualifier on September 2 when
Croatia travel to Malta.