Lions and Glacis head into Rock Cup semi-finals

Lion’s 39th-minute goal said it all.

Revagliatti delivered a good ball to an unmarked teammate, who simply returned it into Revagliatti’s path. Sliding in, he dragged the ball past the keeper for the second goal.

Lions had already taken the lead in the 15th minute, but Europa Point had not reacted and looked certain to concede again as they were pushed back. They only seemed to come alive after conceding their second.

Europa Point’s players looked as if they were already thinking about an early vacation in two weeks’ time should they fail to finish in the top six. Failing to progress in the Rock Cup would ensure they would have no more matches to play after the second round of fixtures.

A lacklustre approach from Europa Point handed Lions dominance of possession. It was not Lions at full throttle — just enough to maintain control and apply pressure.

It could have been three for Lions in the 44th minute, but somehow three attackers against two defenders failed to turn the ball into the net.

Towards the end of the first half, Lions frequently had a line of four forwards waiting for the ball — poised to capitalise on any mistake from the Europa Point defence, and there were enough of those.

Lions took just eight minutes into the second half to find the net for a third time. The Europa Point keeper was left exposed and unable to do much as he came out to narrow the angle, only to be sidestepped and beaten.

Europa Point tried in vain to break into the Lions half, but as they entered the final twenty minutes, their attempts repeatedly left them chasing back. Only Lions’ failure to find the final pass prevented the goal tally from increasing further.

Europa Point’s best chance came in the 77th minute. Lugo broke free and created enough space to unleash a thunderous drive towards the far post, only for an outstretched keeper to push the ball out for a corner.

They did not just waste their opportunity from the corner — they found themselves chasing as Livingstone broke free. A quick glance up and a pass across goal found Njoli alone behind the defence, tapping the ball over the line.

Three minutes later, a similar break down the left saw Njoli make the run, but his pass across goal was a touch too fast for anyone to reach and convert.

From registering their first real attempt, Europa Point suddenly found themselves chasing a four-goal deficit and looking as though they could concede more.

Lions appeared the more determined to score again, while Europa Point needed the efforts of players such as Amador to pose any threat to Canto’s goal.

In the 84th minute, a misplaced back pass forced Canto to come out and block in what was a rare opportunity for Europa Point — once again stemming from a defensive mistake by Lions.

While Lions walked their way into the semi-finals, it was not necessarily their cleanest display. There were moments when parts of the defence looked vulnerable, and their failure to convert dominance into more clear-cut opportunities will be a concern for Downes as Lions look to challenge for a place in Europe.

Such shortcomings are likely to be punished in the Championship round of the league.

In other Rock Cup quarter-final action on Saturday, Glacis United booked their place in the semi-finals with victory over College 1975.

A 19th-minute goal from Carty opened the scoring in what proved to be a tense encounter between two sides from the bottom half of the table. Glacis sealed their place in the 86th minute through Brinkman.