Europa and Magpies share points

Europa 1-1 Magpies

Saturday’s Gibraltar Football League action brought Europa against Magpies in a 4:30pm kick-off.

The Magpies, having already faced Lions and Lynx, two sides they knew could be challenging for the top-six places, had already gained some advantage, having drawn against Lions and followed this up with a win against Lynx.

Europa, their third opponent this season, would be an even tougher test, with the Green and Blacks having finished third last season and already showing they meant business this season.

The early minutes were tense moments, with both teams showing some urgency to impose themselves on the match.

Both sides adopted a clear defensive posture but were very much in an offensive mood, with some tough challenges being made.

Both defences needed to be alert from the start, with both sides looking to exploit any space they found during an intense opening five minutes.

As both defences settled down, there was little to separate the two sides. Coming into the first quarter of an hour, there had yet to be a clear attempt at goal from either side, with play concentrated through the middle third of the field.

It was Europa who had the first clear chance in the 16th minute. The ball was passed twice across goal, with the final shot from within the six-yard box a hurried effort by Vittorio that ended over the fence on the roadside.

It was the Magpies who had the next chance, with Lopez making a timely block and then being assisted by his defence to block the next shot in the 18th minute as the Magpies found space behind Europa’s defence.

In the 20th minute, it was Zappacosta coming out well to block an attempt from Vinet. Europa had benefited from a Magpies defensive error in clearing their area and giving the ball away.

The urgency being seen on the field saw the Magpies’ next attempt finish in the stands, with little accuracy as players seemed to be under pressure to hurry their shots.

The Magpies were, however, to make the best of a short back pass, with Dalton taking possession and striding past Lopez to have a simple tap-in in the 26th minute.

The celebrations were short-lived, with Vinet beating his marker and striking at goal to beat Zappacosta and level the score in the 27th minute, in Europa’s first surge forward after conceding.

The Magpies found themselves momentarily penned back as Europa maintained the momentum going forward. The Magpies defence was in some disarray as Europa searched for an immediate second and did not allow them to settle after conceding.

Finally able to clear their half, the Magpies went on the offensive, with Dalton sending a low cross that was struck just over Lopez’s crossbar with 34 minutes played.

The Magpies continued to add to their tally of fouls given away, with yet another one close to the edge of the box in the 35th minute. The Magpies were able to clear the danger but could not keep possession.

Tensions were high as they played the final minutes of the first half, with the score still level.

There was little to separate the two sides as the second half started.

The Magpies had the first real chance in the 48th minute, with a sweeping move ending with a header just feet from the six-yard box hitting the woodwork before the follow-up was struck wide from a tight angle.

As they arrived at the hour mark, neither side had yet taken control of possession. The match remained very much at a tenterhooks stage, with both defences holding strong and highly focused on not allowing any quick breaks.

The Magpies looked to be gaining ground as they entered the final half hour. Europa momentarily found themselves unable to get past the middle third, while the Whites were prodding at their defence.

With the sounds of the GMF in the background, Europa wasted a chance to put pressure on Zappacosta’s goal, sending a free kick comfortably into his arms in the 68th minute.

Just moments later, it was Lopez whose quick reactions denied the Magpies from getting to the ball at the far post, where it needed only a tap-in for a goal, had the goalkeeper’s fingertip intervention not diverted the ball away.

Arriving into the final 20 minutes, the match saw some scrappy moments, with tensions high.

Neither side was making much headway, with both defences doing well to close down the gaps and cancel out opportunities.

Tired legs were now showing, and the Magpies defence was caught out by a long ball. Zappacosta did enough by coming out to get in the way of the shot, allowing his defence to protect his goal and clear from the goalmouth in the 81st minute.

The match had attracted somewhat more than the handful of supporters, with around 100 watching an encounter where either side could still grab the winner with five minutes left to play.

Winning a corner in the 88th minute, the Magpies had Europa momentarily defending deep enough for Di Piedi to delay his final substitution until his penalty area was cleared.

Tired legs dictated the final minutes. Europa had a final corner in injury time, with Zappacosta taking the ball comfortably and sending it forward, only for the Europa defence to soon regain possession.

The final whistle signalled the end of an evenly balanced contest, with both sides sharing the points.