The Malta national football team has bagged its first win in over a year-and-a-half in a friendly match against Gibraltar.

Tonight’s victory was a much-needed confidence booster just days before the national team heads abroad for its Nations League duties against Andorra and Latvia.

It also marked new head coach Devis Mangia’s first win in the position after losing to The Faroe Islands and drawing to Latvia last month.

Malta took an early lead in the eight-minute when a free-kick by Ryan Camenzuli was headed past Gibraltar by the unmarked Kyrian Nwoko.

Nwoko later had to leave the pitch due to injury and was replaced by Luke Montebello.

The second half proved more eventful with six yellow cards but it wasn’t until the 90th minute when Triston Caruana scored a fine header off a wonderful cross from Jake Grech to give Malta the 2-0 lead and end result.

Malta would’ve been more successful had it started its usual line-up but Mangia opted to experiment with the starting 11 and rest some key players before the big Nations League matchups later this week.

Four uncapped players made their debut, which was goalkeeper Jake Galea of Sliema Wanderers, Samir Arab of Balzan, young 19-year-old midfielder Shaun Dimech of Vallett and Joe Muscatt of German outfit SC Paderborn.

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