Lincoln Red Imps go top of the league, at least momentarily, after beating Lions Gibraltar

Lincoln Red Imps 2-0 Lions Gibraltar

Lincoln Red Imps, aiming to grab the three points against Lions which would temporarily place them top of the table, had to wait until the twentieth minute before they struck their first goal. A free kick for Lincoln Red Imps on the edge of the box saw Mariano Gonzalez's shot deflected just enough to wrong-foot Valades and see the ball bounce to the left of the keeper and over his outstretched leg.

Lions had defended deep and closed Lincoln Red Imps well. Although bottom of the league, Lions showed some bite in their game, which saw them respond to the goal immediately, looking for the equaliser. A strong solid defense as Lincoln Red Imps had, although pressured, stood their ground well and did not allow Lions to surprise them.

Lions soon were back on the front foot again and pressing on Lincoln. Within minutes, creating further chances to add to their tally. The match was, however, somewhat messy, with niggly fouls forcing the game into a stop-and-go rhythm. As they passed the half-hour mark, Lions started to get pinned back into their final third, struggling to get out. Lincoln advancing in numbers, a constant threat.

Coleing spent from just a couple of minutes after Lincoln's goal until close to the end of the first half without actually seeing the ball. Lincoln was, however, being stopped effectively from having more than just a handful of attempts at goal as Lions closed the gaps in front of their penalty area. Whilst dominating possession, Lincoln Red Imps went into the halftime break with just a solitary goal advantage.

Lions also winning the psychological game with players such as Kun distracted at times by confrontations with Lions players. The niggly fouls added to the minor tensions, which although not marring the game, were enough to break the flow of play. Lincoln marked a change in things within fifty seconds of the second half. From a buildup which had looked at going nowhere, Lincoln had a corner which they were to turn into a goal.

Having scored their second goal, Lincoln could now afford to stamp their mark on the game, the two-goal cushion leaving Lions with an uphill struggle. Lions did have a quick attempt at goal in the 48th minute with a shot from distance forcing Coleing to jump to secure it went over his crossbar. Lincoln responded with a quick play down the right flank which ended in the ball distributed quickly to the other side and a shot ringing in for Valades to block before being fouled.

Lincoln could have added a third in the 55th minute but Valades went down well to block and collect a shot, ensuring an unmarked Lincoln player did not get to a rebound. There was no question as to Lincoln's dominance over the game. However, closed down well and given few opportunities to get chances to add to their tally, they still risked quick counters from Lions.

Coleing forced to block in the 69th minute after Lions broke free with a long ball forward. Lincoln did see a 70th-minute chance to add to their tally in a somewhat bizarre way. A miscued attempt that looked as if it was going to go well wide of the target somehow dipped over the goal mouth in such a way that Valades had to be very attentive as the ball dipped down steeply just over his goal and falling towards goal in a spin.

The keeper forced to punch clear as the ball threatened to dip into the goal. This was the closest Lincoln had come to hitting the target for a while. Changes in the final quarter of an hour of play for Lincoln Red Imps introduced fresh legs into the team, although there were few signs that Lions could lift their game to make a comeback.

Lincoln did have a number of pot shots blocked in the final ten minutes of the match. However, the third goal was not to come, and Lincoln walked away with just a 2-0 victory over Lions Gibraltar. This was enough to go to the top of the table, at least momentarily until this weekend's result between St Joseph and Europa Point, where the Saints will need to win to retain their top spot for another week.