Lincoln Red Imps win Rock Cup final 5-0

Lincoln Red Imps added to their achievements this season with a resounding 5–0 victory over Mons Calpe in the Rock Cup final.

From the very kick-off Lincoln Red Imps piled the pressure on Mons Calpe. A well-timed chipped pass from De Barr after just seven minutes allowed Kike through. Although initially blocked by the keeper, he collected the rebound and tapped the ball into an empty net.

Mons Calpe struggled to settle, while Lincoln Red Imps surprisingly had Lee Casciaro starting as captain in the first eleven in a season in which he has hardly featured.

Mons reacted after the goal and did manage to put some pressure on Lincoln as they looked for an equaliser. Two corners before the 15-minute mark were not well used, but they did show that Mons were still in the game.

Lincoln then sat back, allowing Mons Calpe to come at them while absorbing the pressure. It took Mons until the 20th minute to properly test Hankins. Lincoln at times looked too passive, almost inviting Mons to attack.

Then suddenly, on 25 minutes, Lincoln shifted gears. Mulla sent Kike through and the striker finished well to score Lincoln’s second.

Although Mons tried to bring pressure onto Lincoln, they lacked the cutting edge to finish their chances. Lincoln, however, looked capable of adding a third whenever they had the ball, with Mons clearly wary of the threat.

On 34 minutes a corner from Nano was whipped into the near post, flicked on and cleared off the line.

Lincoln showed the confidence of an experienced side, pacing their efforts and managing the tempo of the match. They remained firmly in control.

Even when Mons were in possession, Lincoln’s defence looked solid and composed, ready to clear danger sooner rather than later.

On 40 minutes Mons were lucky not to see the first yellow card of the match. A free kick from a tight angle by Nano was scraped over the crossbar, not troubling the keeper.

Mons responded with Toledano getting a shooting opportunity, but Hankins produced a block, although the goalkeeper required treatment afterwards after having the wind knocked out of him.

The second half started with Lincoln upping their momentum. Mons, who tried to regain control, struggled as Lincoln set the tone in the opening ten minutes. The referee was being lenient, keeping his cards in his pocket despite a number of challenges that could easily have warranted a booking.

The crowd began to grow more vocal, with a full main stand making for one of the best attendances at a domestic match this season.

On 57 minutes Nano reached the byline and played a short pass to De Barr, who stepped past his marker and smashed the ball home for Lincoln’s third.

Mons Calpe later saw Toledano find space for a shot, only to be met by another strong block from Hankins, although the goalkeeper was unaware that the flag had already been raised for offside.

Lincoln made two changes on the hour mark, bringing on fresh legs while also resting players ahead of the upcoming Championship Round of the league.

Already three goals ahead, Lincoln looked comfortable. A great run down the left flank saw the ball played across the penalty area, leaving Kike with space to smash the ball home for his hat-trick and Lincoln’s fourth with just under 30 minutes remaining.

Mons did not give up their search for a goal but continued to struggle to find the final pass.

Three more changes followed, with Nano, Kike and Rudjen leaving the pitch. This allowed Lee Casciaro to complete a full ninety minutes. Youngster Jessop was among those introduced, along with experienced player Ayew.

Mons Calpe’s failure to win the Rock Cup means that, with Lincoln Red Imps also likely to finish in the top two of the league, the European place allocated to the Rock Cup winner would instead go to the third-placed team in the league.

This opens the door for both Europa and Mons Calpe to battle for a chance to play in the Conference League. Both teams are currently twelve points behind the top two with just fifteen points remaining to play for, making it difficult for either side to finish in the top two.

For Lincoln, the next objective will be to win the league and qualify for the Champions League, having already secured European football with at least a place in the Conference League.

A league title would cap a historic season, having already won the Pepe Reyes Cup, qualified for the group stage of the Conference League, and now lifted the Rock Cup. The only remaining achievement would be the league title.

Flahil, who had created the fourth goal, was to get his just reward late on. Another run down the flank saw him pause just long enough to create space before smashing a shot from a tight angle into the roof of the net.

Lincoln Red Imps sealing a 5–0 victory.