Bruno Magpies keep hope of top six finish alive

Bruno started strongly, with their first minute of play seeing a corner delivery flash across goal. The Glacis goalkeeper punched clear, but the ball travelled across the face of goal, evading both defenders and attackers.

It was Glacis, however, who had the first clear chance to take the lead. After five minutes, a shot from outside the penalty area beat the goalkeeper and struck the post, rolling across goal without crossing the line before being cleared.

Moments later, Glacis had a second opportunity. This time, a miscued effort from inside the six-yard box was cleared by the Bruno defence.

Bruno soon responded with chances of their own at the opposite end after eight minutes. The frantic opening gradually slowed as both sides settled, closing down space and establishing shape. This shift favoured Bruno, who had been pushed back into their own half early on but began to enjoy more time on the ball and open the match up.

Bruno went close in the 20th minute with a cross into the six-yard box. Forced to jump over a Glacis player on the ground, the Bruno forward was unable to direct his header on target.

It was Glacis who eventually took the lead, forcing Bruno Magpies to search for an equaliser during the final fifteen minutes of the first half. Glacis looked to exploit Bruno’s defence with quick counter-attacks, while Bruno, needing all three points to keep their top-six hopes alive, began to see the match slipping away.

Despite sitting second from bottom in the league, Glacis were having the greater impact on the game. In the 41st minute, one such counter-attack saw Bruno fortunate not to concede again as the goalkeeper was lobbed, only for the ball to drift wide and result in a goal kick.

The first half ended with Glacis heading into the break holding a surprising 1–0 lead.

Bruno Magpies emerged from the interval with immediate intent, levelling the score early in the second half. Maintaining their attacking momentum, Bruno found a second goal through Del Rio as the match entered the final twenty minutes.

Glacis struggled after the break to rediscover the rhythm and fluidity that had threatened to earn them all three points in the first half. Bruno Magpies, one of the few sides to regularly field more home-grown players than the minimum requirement—six in the starting eleven on Saturday—grew in confidence and controlled the tempo.

Glacis refused to give in and pushed for at least a point, pressing high in the final ten minutes in an effort to regain possession quickly. However, Bruno closed down effectively, limiting Glacis’ chances to test the goalkeeper. Only one long-range effort troubled Bruno after they took the lead, with five minutes remaining. During the same spell, Bruno tested Victor at the other end with shots from distance.

Glacis did not send another ball into the goalmouth until the 87th minute, which Funez punched clear comfortably. The following three minutes were spent near the corner flag in the Glacis half as Bruno sought to run down the clock and protect their advantage.

Four minutes of added time were played, but Glacis failed to carve out a clear opening. Instead, Bruno capitalised in the final minute as sluggish defending from Glacis allowed them to add a third goal. Victor appealed for a foul after initially making a block, only for the loose ball to be poked past him.

The final whistle confirmed a 3–1 victory for Bruno Magpies, keeping alive their hopes of securing a place in the top six.