Lincoln Red Imps drop crucial points against Europa that leave St Joseph in the lead

Described as “the derby match”, Thursday evening saw Lincoln Red Imps come face to face with Europa in what was a crucial encounter for both sides.

Europa, looking to finish in the top three or higher, needed to claim points away from one of the favourites for the title. Lincoln Red Imps, however, having lost to St Joseph’s, could no longer afford to drop points.

Fielding strong line-ups, it was very much a derby rivalry from the start. There was unusual urgency in Lincoln Red Imps’ game, normally only seen in tight contests.

Although it was a wet night, it was far from the severe weather experienced over the weekend, with conditions good for an exciting encounter.

Lincoln had more of the offensive play in the opening ten minutes, but Europa maintained a firm defensive line that absorbed the pressure, giving no real options to test Lopez in goal.

Europa then began to push their lines forward slightly, applying a higher press.

A fluid match with little time wasted in the first twenty minutes did not produce much in terms of goal action, but there was plenty of tactical play as both sides searched for a way through. Europa adopted a more defensive shape with a high line of pressure and the threat of quick counters, whilst Lincoln looked to weave their way through with constant pressure.

Although it was a chilly, wet school-day evening, the very young ball boys could only be praised for their continuous delivery of balls, keeping the game moving.

The first shot on target came in the 23rd minute, a diving header from Pozo at the edge of the six-yard box. However, with little power behind it, Lopez made an easy catch.

Moments later, the ball was at the other end, with Lopez intercepting a cross inside the six-yard box and sending it out for a corner as Europa threatened to open the scoring.

Shortly after, De Barr floated a free kick into the penalty area where Lopez saw the ball pass just over him by the narrowest of margins.

De Barr forced another free kick in the 27th minute after a strong run shielding the ball. The opportunity was wasted, however, with De Barr chipping to Lope, who sent the ball high over the goal from the far left inside the penalty area.

After half an hour, Europa looked content to absorb pressure and counter quickly when the opportunity arose.

In the 31st minute, a beautifully threaded ball through the middle of the defence was gathered by Montero, who rounded the defender and unleashed a powerful drive. The ball bounced off the post and away to safety.

Europa responded with Vinet going head to head with Nano, the latter showing his experience by keeping his composure and eventually dispossessing Vinet.

As they entered the final ten minutes of the first half, the Lincoln Red Imps head coach could be seen asking his players to calm down, noticing how urgency had begun to creep into their game without yielding positives.

Played mainly through the middle third with minimal goal chances, the first half finished goalless. Europa grew in confidence as the minutes ticked away, buoyed by a strong defensive presence and the knowledge that their quick-paced front runners could yet produce something.

Lincoln started the second half strongly, testing Lopez within the first minute and forcing him to step out and dive at the feet of Idrissi as he broke free.

On the 49th minute, Europa tested Garcia Santana, who blocked a tight-angled shot out for a corner.

In the 53rd minute, Pozo thought he had scored with a well-timed header from inside the six-yard box. However, Mueller, who had provided the assist, was judged to have been offside when he received the floated ball on the far left of the area.

Moments later, good defensive work halted a combination between Pozo and De Barr, with the latter’s forced header ending in Lopez’s arms.

Di Piedi made the first changes after 55 minutes, bringing on Parody and Adair Ruiz — both offensive players.

Lincoln maintained their momentum with composed, patient build-up from the back, although Europa’s defence remained solid and closed down the gaps effectively.

Entering the hour mark, the match had not changed significantly, with a tight contest through the middle and little in the way of clear goal opportunities.

Lincoln, who had scored ten against Hound Dogs just days earlier, found themselves restricted to the middle third. Kike was brought on for Pozo, who had struggled to influence the game.

In the 63rd minute, Montero saw a shot blocked for a corner — Lincoln’s first of the second half. De Barr continued to get past players and create openings, but his deliveries were not being converted.

In the 65th minute, Lopez produced two excellent saves at his left post as Lincoln drove twice in quick succession toward goal.

Gradually, Europa began to edge forward as Lincoln’s players showed increasing frustration with the flow of the match.

With seventy minutes played, Arguez came on for Lincoln as Bezares looked to change the dynamics.

De Barr received a yellow card after urging the referee to hurry up while he was speaking to his captain following a foul on Kolega.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Lincoln Red Imps looked far from creating any real threat on Lopez’s goal.

Although a draw favoured both Mons Calpe, directly above Europa, and St Joseph’s at the top of the table, Europa appeared content to protect a result that could earn them a point few had expected.

In the 80th minute, a corner and subsequent spell of pressure ended with Europa clearing and Adair winning the chase for the ball. The substitute saw his shot scrape over the crossbar — the closest Europa had come to breaking the deadlock.

It was a warning to Lincoln that they risked losing all three points, not just two.

The final minutes were tense. Even with four additional minutes played, Europa absorbed everything Lincoln threw at them to walk away with a point few had anticipated.

Lincoln, having dropped two crucial points, handed St Joseph’s a real advantage — not only with the head-to-head in their favour should they finish level on points, but also with Lincoln now two points behind even if both sides win all their remaining matches. Although Lincoln still have two matches in hand to level the number of games played, they have already recorded one more draw than their rivals.

This came at the hands of the same team that, until now, had been the only side to deny Lincoln league football at some stage over the past decade. Europa showed determination and resilience, alongside disciplined confidence, to stall Lincoln Red Imps in their tracks.