Gibraltar U15 finish unbeaten in UEFA Development tournament with a second win

Andorra U15 0-3 Gibraltar U15

From the very first kick of the ball, Gibraltar’s U15s did not allow Andorra time to settle into any sort of rhythm.

Pressing high and with purpose, they set the tone for the first half.

Already having drawn against San Marino and beaten Liechtenstein by a resounding 4-1, Gibraltar U15s had shown that they were more than ready for the challenge of trying to take top spot in the UEFA Development Tournament.

A disciplined display, with individual qualities matched by team discipline, provided Gibraltar with a very mature approach to the game and saw them perfectly matched against their opponents. Probably one of the best team performances seen in recent years among Gibraltar’s youth teams, the Under-15s had opened up the international season for Gibraltar with a positive feel, unlike last season’s openers which saw defeats across all categories.

It was a perfect start when, in the ninth minute, Baldachino met the ball from a well-taken free-kick at the edge of the box, sending it flying past the Andorra keeper for the opening goal. Andorra were rattled and found themselves penned back immediately after the goal as Gibraltar continued with their momentum going forward.

Gibraltar had chances to add to their tally, with Andorra also pressing in an attempt to level the score.

The first half finished with Gibraltar maintaining their narrow 1-0 advantage.

Boosted by the constant chanting from the parents and families who had accompanied them to San Marino, the second half started much the same way as the first, with Gibraltar playing with an intensity which was pushing Andorra back into their half.

Solid defending and chasing back for every ball provided Gibraltar with the solidity to defend against breaks from the back.

Andorra did not sit back and searched for the equaliser, providing an intensity to the match which made it a great spectacle of youth football at this level.

Andorra started to gain some ground as they approached the hour mark, forcing Gibraltar momentarily back. However, maintaining their composure and formation on the field, Gibraltar defended solidly, providing little space.

Andorra had their first shot at goal in the second half in the 60th minute, after a run down the left flank. However, Gibraltar’s high tempo and willingness to press high was cancelling out Andorra’s advances, making it difficult for them to find space to arrive close to the final third of the field.

Gibraltar were to celebrate a second goal just moments later. A quick change, with Moreno coming in, caught Andorra off guard. The substitute found himself through on goal after a ball was played through the middle, winning the chase. His first touch ended in a goal, giving Gibraltar a two-goal lead.

Once again, Andorra found themselves rattled and having to recover mentally. The first action immediately after the goal saw another Gibraltar offensive ending in a corner.

Andorra shook off the goal and had a quick break, which was confidently handled by a stern challenge that broke up the Andorra advance.

With the game now seeing more space between the frontline and defence as it stretched, Gibraltar’s defence had to stay alert as Andorra searched with even more urgency for their first goal as the minutes ran away from them.

Arriving into the final 20 minutes, Gibraltar settled to slow the pace when defending, sitting in a stable 4-4-2 formation which provided a two-wall barrier and shut down the space through the middle that Andorra had looked to exploit.

A no-nonsense approach was starting to be seen, with Gibraltar maintaining compact lines and clearing the danger, forcing Andorra to constantly build from the back.

Although it was Andorra who had the majority of possession, they were struggling to find opportunities to test the Gibraltar goal.

It was Gibraltar who had the next best chance, with a shot on target in the 73rd minute, although it was easily parried by the keeper.

Andorra responded by earning a corner, which was again confidently cleared by the Gibraltar defence.

Andorra’s next shot at goal came in the 75th minute, a forced attempt which went wide of its mark.

Gibraltar were more than willing to test the Andorra defence with some quick breaks. In the 75th minute, it took a well-timed final lunge to stop a break from the back.

Andorra’s defence was, however, sliced open with some quality combinations through the middle which allowed for a one-against-one. A composed finish provided Gibraltar with their third goal in the 79th minute, with Moreno grabbing his brace.

Gibraltar’s defence were moments later to clear from their own goalmouth, with Andorra unable to capitalise on a quick break with nobody in the middle to collect. The long clearance was quickly picked up by Gibraltar U15s, who set about their own offensive, with an attempted lob over the keeper ending in a goal kick.

Gibraltar were content to protect their three-goal lead in the final five minutes, opting to wait for opportunities to break quickly and frustrating their opponents, who found themselves having to work from the back time and again.

The work rate from the Gibraltar players, however, did not diminish, with the team still working for the ball and producing a high work rate going forward, which forced a late corner.

Just as quickly, they were forced to defend.

And just as quickly, they were breaking fast, with Moreno forcing a save to deny him a hat-trick in the 90th minute.

Two minutes into injury time, Gibraltar had a final shot at goal from distance, trying to catch the keeper out of his goal, although the effort missed the target.

The final whistle was blown with the Gibraltar team celebrating another victory.

Gibraltar finished unbeaten in the UEFA Development Tournament in normal playing time, having drawn their first match against San Marino and beaten both Liechtenstein and Andorra.
The seven points leaving Gibraltar top of the group.