Lions show their superiority over Mons Calpe

Lions Gibraltar 4
Mons Calpe 2

Very early on, Mons Calpe put a ball across the box that needed a flying header to clear the danger. The Lions, in their all-orange kit, started on the back foot, with Mons Calpe creating the early chances.
After just four minutes, another ball across goal saw the keeper attempt to punch clear, but the ball hit the crossbar.
Without ball boys, the balls ending up at the eastern end of the pitch caused delays in collections. In just five minutes of play, one minute was spent retrieving balls.
The Lions began to settle into the game after five nervy minutes. Pushing Mons Calpe back, Breakspear’s attempt at goal ended in a foul. A well-struck ball beat the keeper, hit the bottom of the crossbar, and bounced in off the keeper’s back—this after ten minutes of play.
Mons Calpe responded by forcing a save from the Lions’ keeper in the 12th minute. A corner, passed short to the top of the box, saw the Lions’ keeper come off his line to punch the ball clear and away from danger.
A moment later, another corner from the opposite side saw Mons Calpe attempt the same tactic—a quickly taken corner passed short, then swung into the box, but the Lions’ keeper comfortably collected it.
In the 16th minute, Mons Calpe broke free with a long ball from inside their half, but the final attempt went wide of the goal.
Although Mons Calpe were no pushovers, it was the Lions, distributing passes more comfortably across the field, who found themselves making advances toward Mons Calpe’s goal.
A ball crossed the goal in the 23rd minute from a free kick at the far corner on the right. Somehow, Mons Calpe’s defense failed to clear it, allowing it to end up behind the defense, where it was placed across the goal to the top corner for the Lions’ second goal.
On the 28th, Gillespie tried to chip the Mons Calpe keeper from just past the halfway line, but the ball went wide.
The Lions, now playing comfortably with a two-goal lead, were also showing some flair among their players.
Mons Calpe, however, had not yet been beaten and were searching to cut the gap.
In the 30th minute, a corner, again played short, was swung in. A header at the goalmouth was cleared by a defender on the line before the keeper was able to gather it from the feet of a Mons Calpe player.
With both teams playing attacking football, the intensity of the match continued through the first half. The space created by the attacking stance of both sides provided an interesting and energetic encounter.
Mons Calpe once again showed they were not a team to give up, despite going behind early. The Lions began to dominate possession as the first half neared its end. Well-positioned across the pitch, the Lions appeared more dangerous going forward, as their passing created space.
In the 37th minute, Mons Calpe had their chances, earning a corner and continuing to put pressure in front of the Lions’ goal, which the defense dealt with well.
In the 38th minute, Mons Calpe saw a long pass over the defense met by Bossano just in front of the far post. His volley was saved by the keeper for a corner.
Mons Calpe kept knocking at the Lions’ door, with the Lions’ keeper intervening multiple times to keep them out. The Lions had their own chances but couldn’t add to their score.
They went into halftime with a two-goal lead, knowing it was far from comfortable. Mons Calpe still looked capable of mounting a comeback.
Just two minutes into the second half, the Lions made it three with a quick counterattack, breaking up a Mons Calpe move. Gillespie, left mostly unmarked, ran into the box and sent a quick low drive past the keeper.
Tensions started to rise, with Galia forced to show a yellow card soon after. The Mons Calpe manager also received a yellow after being warned about his touchline comments toward the referee.
A cheaply given foul on Bautista handed Mons Calpe a free kick at the top corner of the penalty box. Passed short, it was a wasted opportunity as the ball was miscued, allowing the Lions to clear easily and race to the other end, earning a corner in the process.
Mons Calpe managed to clear their lines but gave the ball away easily when pushing forward.
The Lions, looking more secure after their third goal, kept their focus and discipline but did not force the pace. Mons Calpe’s urgency seemed to work against them.
After missing a chance from a corner, Mons Calpe found themselves chasing back to stop another Lions counterattack.
Mons Calpe kept trying to reduce the deficit but couldn’t find the net, despite forcing corners. However, in the 60th minute, after the Lions failed to clear their goalmouth properly, Mons Calpe broke through and found the goal they had been searching for.
The Lions seemed to wake up and had a chance in the 62nd minute.
Mons Calpe’s defense fell asleep when they allowed an unmarked player to slip behind them and get a shot off, which was first saved by the keeper. The rebound hit the post before a third attempt resulted in a goal, with Mons Calpe’s defense nowhere to be seen.
The Lions, now with a 4-1 lead and 25 minutes left to play, believed they had secured the three points.
However, a mistake in the 70th minute by Volt allowed Mons Calpe to add a second, once again raising concerns about a potential comeback.
Ghisigner gave away an unnecessary foul, earning himself a booking and putting the Lions’ goal under threat. He was substituted within minutes.
More yellow cards followed as the referee sought to control tensions between individual players.
In the 77th minute, Dulleck failed to convert a great chance when he found himself alone behind the defense. His first touch was too heavy, giving the keeper enough time to come out of his goal and dive at his feet to block the attempt.
As the final ten minutes approached, the match became stretched, with gaps opening up at both ends. The Lions continued to press Mons Calpe, while Mons Calpe looked to break as quickly as possible.
In the 89th minute, Gillespie was just a stretched foot away from scoring as the ball went across the front of the goal.
Under new ownership, the Lions had brought in many new players to strengthen the squad. They were now starting to look disciplined and capable of challenging for a position in the top six, gelling together as a team just five weeks into the competition.
A 4-2 win for the Lions gave them an early advantage in what could be a mid-table battle to stay within the top six.