TA’QALI, Malta (Interstat) — Malta U19 earned its first victory of the UEFA U19 Championship qualification campaign Monday, defeating Kazakhstan U19 3-1 at MFA Centenary Stadium.

All three Malta goals came from substitutes in a decisive second-half surge. Emma Flannery opened the scoring in the 26th minute, followed by Lexine Farrugia in the 46th and Nyorah Celeste in the 51st. Celeste also added an assist. Kazakhstan’s lone reply came from Nazym Aldanazar in the 68th minute.

The result improved Malta’s qualification record to 1-2, while Kazakhstan fell to 0-3. The match defied pre-game projections that heavily favored the visitors.