Gibraltar watch hope of history-making fade away conceding in latter part of the match against Faroe Islands

Faroe Island 2
Gibraltar 1

Having protected key players from receiving yellow cards during the Croatia match, Wiseman was able to make three key changes to the lineup. Among them was the return of Britto, alongside Bent and El Hmidi.

In just the fourth match under Wiseman’s guidance, Gibraltar had already shown signs of more offensive football, presenting a new challenge for the Faroe Islands, whom they had previously drawn against in a friendly. This was a match in which Gibraltar believed they had a real chance of securing a positive result—unlike their game against Croatia, one of the top sides in the world.

Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands share a sporting rivalry that dates back to the Island Games, long before Gibraltar joined UEFA. This added a layer of significance to the match, despite the teams being similarly ranked.

Gibraltar started positively, applying high pressure early on. It was a clear signal that they weren’t there just to participate—they were aiming for all three points.

The hosts were the first to test the goal, with Banda forced into two early saves within the opening five minutes.

Even a single point would have been historic for Gibraltar in these qualifiers.

In the seventh minute, Gibraltar were nearly punished when Davidsen found space and struck the ball goalward, only to see it hit the woodwork.

Gibraltar had their chance in the ninth minute. De Barr stole the ball in Gibraltar’s half and released Scanlon, who cut across the top of the penalty area before being body-checked. Appeals for a penalty were waved away. El Hmidi reacted quickly, but his toe-poke effort went just wide of the post.

Gibraltar opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. After a long ball to the edge of the box was well controlled by Bent, he passed it short to Annesley, who then laid it off to Scanlon. The Manchester United youth player created space for himself and curled a beautiful shot into the corner of the net, beyond the keeper.

With the goal, Gibraltar gained confidence and pushed forward. De Barr’s darting run won a corner, and Walker’s delivery caused concern for the Faroe Islands, forcing a second corner. Ronan’s effort from the edge of the area went over the bar, allowing the hosts to regroup.

Bent received a yellow card, meaning he will miss Gibraltar’s next match.

El Hmidi continued to trouble the Faroe Islands with his physical presence, bulldozing his way into the box before being brought down—yet again, no penalty was awarded.

Gibraltar’s solid defending was making it difficult for the hosts to break through. They were forced to shoot from distance, with Justinsen firing wide in the 32nd minute from outside the box.

Heading into the final 15 minutes of the first half, Gibraltar looked more composed. De Barr began taking on a more central, playmaking role.

A frustrated Faroe Islands side conceded a cheap free kick when Scanlon was pulled down by the arm. The resulting delivery, seemingly routine, was mishandled by the goalkeeper, but El Hmidi wasn’t able to capitalize as the ball bounced off him unexpectedly.

The hosts responded with a blocked shot, followed by a deflected rebound that went out for a corner. As the half neared its end, Gibraltar were being pushed back.

Britto deflected a Hendrickson shot for a corner, but disciplined defending nullified the threat.

The Faroe Islands maintained pressure in search of an equalizer, but Gibraltar stood firm, minimizing space and repelling attacks. In the 44th minute, a penalty appeal from the hosts was dismissed—though replays suggested the Gibraltar defender had caught his opponent without touching the ball.

Gibraltar ended the half in a defensive posture, surviving a late flurry to go into the break with a 1–0 lead.

This was perhaps the biggest challenge yet for Scott Wiseman in his role as national team head coach. Leading at halftime, it was now about maintaining momentum and morale—something Wiseman, a former international, would have understood from experience.

He made a change at halftime, bringing on Bartolo for El Hmidi.

With renewed energy, Gibraltar looked to take the game to the Faroe Islands. In the 49th minute, the hosts nearly equalized when a ball behind Britto was flashed across goal, inches ahead of an oncoming striker.

Banda was tested again in the 54th minute, diving to push a shot around the post. Yet again, the resulting corner failed to trouble Gibraltar.

Gibraltar responded with a clever ball from De Barr to Britto, creating space in the final third, though the final ball into the middle was lacking.

The game became end-to-end, with both defenses under pressure. Gibraltar were sometimes forced to defend deep but continued to frustrate the hosts.

Long balls behind the Faroe Islands’ defense gave Bartolo an outlet, though he often found himself isolated.

As the match entered its final 30 minutes, Gibraltar looked more settled, pressing higher up the field to disrupt the hosts’ rhythm.

In the 67th minute, a dangerous corner tested Banda. Unable to clear it initially, he struggled to recover before eventually punching the ball to safety.

Wiseman made a notable substitution, bringing on youngster Jessop for Walker—a sign of changing times.

In the 70th minute, after numerous unthreatening corners, Frederiksberg swung in a delivery that dipped directly over Banda and into the net. The Faroe Islands had equalized.

Gibraltar responded, with Jessop winning a corner, but failed to capitalize, allowing the hosts to regroup.

In the final 15 minutes, urgency increased on both sides. Gibraltar pressed high, while the Faroe Islands sought quick counters.

The hosts created two clear chances: one blocked heroically by Annesley, and another that whistled just over the crossbar.

Scanlon showcased his dribbling skills, dancing past two defenders before being tripped at the edge of the area—again, no foul given by a referee standing just meters away.

At the other end, Banda saved smartly at his near post with 10 minutes remaining.

Buoyed by the equalizer and home crowd, the Faroe Islands began dominating possession, pinning Gibraltar back. Despite their momentum, they struggled to convert chances, firing wide from promising positions.

Torilla and Valarino replaced Ronan and Richards in the 83rd minute to inject fresh legs.

But the pressure told. A slick sequence of passes sliced through Gibraltar’s defense, culminating in a one-touch finish from Johannesen that beat Banda at close range.

Now trailing, Gibraltar looked tired and disjointed, their earlier energy fading.

Wiseman brought on Mauro for De Barr with just two minutes of regular time remaining. Five minutes were added as injury time, but Gibraltar couldn’t find a way back.

They had been just fifteen minutes away from making history—only to see the opportunity slip away.

It was a bitterly cold defeat that will have disappointed both players and coach, especially after leading for much of the match. Gibraltar once again failing in the latter part of the match.