Gibraltar dealt final blow in controversial decision against Malta

Gibraltar U19 1
Malta U19 2

Gibraltar Under-19s were dealt a late blow as a controversial penalty gave Malta the narrowest of wins in what was a tense final group match.
Having lost their previous two matches, Gibraltar U19s, under the guidance of Scott Wiseman, were looking to finish with a strong display. From kick-off, with a tense match ahead, both teams started with intensity, and the physicality of the match became evident early on.
After absorbing the early pressure, Gibraltar started to find their way forward, but with little luck. They defended against Bartolo, the brother of a national team player, who had opted to play for Malta instead.
The first ten minutes were tight.
Interestingly, Scott Wiseman was also the head coach of the women’s team, due to play next week, raising the question of who was training the women’s squad during this period.
In the 16th minute, Gibraltar had a corner, but it was poorly delivered, hitting the side netting. Malta’s Azzopardi found a gap in Gibraltar’s defense in the 17th minute, striking the ball from outside the penalty box past the outstretched Gibraltar keeper. A wild clearance straight to the feet of a Maltese player led to the first mistake, which cost Gibraltar the first goal.
Gibraltar tried to respond by pressing Malta. A second corner in the 21st minute was better, delivered longer behind the defense, but the header from Mauro lacked power. The keeper gathered the ball and sent a long pass, forcing Gibraltar’s defense to backtrack, with the keeper needing to come out and block.
Gibraltar pressed high, making it difficult for Malta to move the ball with ease, keeping Gibraltar in the game.
As the match progressed, Gibraltar U19s had moments of possession but struggled to break through as the match reached the half-hour mark. Although trailing, Gibraltar held their own against Malta, with the main battle taking place in the middle third of the pitch, and neither side creating many chances in the first half hour.
Scrappy play made the match start and stop, with the referee intervening to warn players on some challenges—more due to nervous physicality than harsh tackles.
There was little to differentiate between the two teams in the first 35 minutes. Some good backtracking from Gibraltar’s defenders, including Coombes, saved them from embarrassment during a breakaway. Winning more balls in midfield, Gibraltar delivered two crosses across the goal, but no one was there to finish.
In the 38th minute, after breaking past defenders on the right wing, a low cross was met by a last-minute clearance before it could be struck on the run. Another corner fell short, wasting another chance for Gibraltar.
A break by Malta led to Coombes being booked for a late challenge three meters from the edge of the box. The resulting free kick whizzed over the crossbar for a goal kick. Malta’s best chance since their goal came in the 43rd minute, with a shot going across the goal face and out for a goal kick.
The first half ended with Gibraltar trailing but still very much in the game after a solid display.
The second half began with neither side willing to give an inch of space. The early moments saw play restricted to the middle third of the pitch, with neither side making much headway into the other’s half. Gibraltar showed more confidence in defense and possession, building on their performance in the latter part of the first half. However, the connection between the midfield and the forward lines was still lacking.
Some good work in Malta’s penalty area earned Gibraltar a penalty in the 50th minute. Chipolina took the penalty calmly, giving Gibraltar a deserved equalizer and a confidence boost at a crucial moment. Lee Chipolina becoming one of the young talents to look out for in Gibraltar football at the same time as another Chipolina, Roy retires from the senior game.
Malta tried to respond with a quick offensive, but Gibraltar were equal to it, regaining possession and attempting to control the pace. Chipolina created the next chance with a through ball into space, which he laid back for a shot from Peacock. Chipolina then struck the ball twice into the defensive wall from a free kick.
Both Peacock for Gibraltar and Agius for Malta were warned by the referee after a clash between them.
Momentarily on the front foot, Gibraltar had a corner on the hour mark, but it was too deep, going behind the goal. The Maltese keeper, Frendo, required treatment after clashing with his own defenders and the post.
In the 71st minute, Gibraltar were dealt a blow when the referee judged a handball inside the box at the edge of the penalty area. Malta scored from the spot, though not without controversy—Gibraltar’s keeper fell to the ground, claiming he had been headbutted, but the referee took no action. Some unsportsmanlike gestures from Maltese players during their celebrations further fueled tensions.
Gibraltar mounted a push for the equalizer but were stifled by Malta, who dug deep to regain possession. Despite pressing hard and keeping Malta from advancing, Gibraltar couldn’t find the breakthrough as they approached the final five minutes.
Frustration grew as decisions went against Gibraltar, with the referee warning players about their reactions. Wiseman made two late substitutions in an attempt to bring fresh legs into the team, but it appeared too little, too late.
Malta held their lines well against Gibraltar’s urgency. A free kick in the 88th minute was played into the far end for a corner, but Gibraltar’s chance was wasted with too tight an angle to bring the ball back into the goalmouth.
Harsh tackles led to complaints from Gibraltar players, and a free kick from the Gibraltar keeper halfway up the pitch into the penalty area saw Malta scramble the ball away from goal. An attempted overhead kick was disallowed after a misjudgment.
Tensions continued to rise, with Malta making substitutions to waste valuable seconds. Gibraltar persisted, keeping Malta pinned in their own half. A tough challenge in the 93rd minute saw the referee intervene to stop a Maltese player from confronting a Gibraltar player, as tensions continued to escalate. Players had to be separated, and as play resumed, Gibraltar was halted by a deliberate trip at the edge of the box. The Maltese player who committed the foul came off worse, requiring treatment.
The free kick, inches from the top corner of the penalty box, offered one final chance for Gibraltar. The ball was floated in, but the attempted header flew past the far post for a goal kick.
After eight minutes of injury time, Malta claimed victory by the narrowest of margins. The tensions didn’t end there, as players had to be separated after the final whistle.