A nine goal thriller sees Manchester through to quarter Finals of the Rock Cup

Manchester 1962 FC 7
Glacis United FC 2

A tightly contested first twelve minutes came to an end with a Glacis United back pass that left their keeper in no man’s land, allowing Manchester 62 to capitalize on the mistake and open the scoring, taking an early lead.
It had been an intense first ten minutes, with the physicality of the match evident from the start. However, Manchester’s goal reset the tempo, giving them a cushion that allowed them to play with less urgency and slow the pace.
Glacis’s defensive frailties were exposed again just three minutes later when the ball went across the goal. Moments later, Manchester 62 tested the keeper before Ocran delivered a well-placed ball to the edge of the box, where Muchisiki struck to make it 2-0 with just 16 minutes played.
Manchester quickly added a third goal, leaving Glacis reeling as they found themselves pinned back. With thirty-three minutes played, another defensive error led to a penalty for Manchester. Ocran coolly converted the spot kick with just a few steps, making it four goals.
Just when it seemed Glacis were completely out of the game, they surged forward and broke through Manchester’s defense to score just two minutes later. Manchester responded by regrouping to maintain their focus, but Glacis showed they weren’t ready to raise the white flag yet. Attacking Manchester’s defense, they tested the keeper, signaling that the match was still alive.
In the 43rd minute, Manchester saw a goal disallowed after the keeper was challenged for the ball, resulting in a foul as the ball was headed over him into the net. Shortly afterward, Manchester earned a free kick, which was floated to the back post and tapped past the Glacis keeper, giving the Reds a 5-1 lead heading into halftime.
Caught napping right after the kickoff, Glacis conceded a sixth goal, effectively shattering any hopes of a comeback and leaving them trailing by five goals.
Manchester 62 continued to press for a seventh goal, pinning Glacis back following a half-hearted attempt from the Clarets to push forward. With the match all but decided and Glacis struggling to build on the momentum from their earlier goal, Manchester cruised toward victory with 40 minutes still to play.
Despite the scoreline, Glacis United showed flashes of energy and threatened Manchester’s goal. Manchester, comfortable with their five-goal cushion, was slow to chase back, giving Glacis the space they needed for brief attacking spells that kept the game alive.
Manchester’s keeper was tested in the 65th minute, producing a fine save to deny a shot on goal. However, Manchester 62 struck again moments later.
Glacis finally got some reward in the 71st minute with a long-distance shot that hung over the keeper and into the back post following a corner that initially seemed lost at the far end. They continued to search for a third goal, with a header falling into the arms of Youifgane.
In the final fifteen minutes, Glacis continued to test Manchester’s defense, even though their keeper had conceded seven goals. Manchester had to defend resolutely to prevent Glacis from narrowing the scoreline but remained largely untroubled about advancing to the semifinals.
The seven goals in this nine-goal thriller kept Manchester’s hopes alive for a place in European club competition, with the Rock Cup providing a pathway toward that ambition.