Lions squeeze past College in fiery 1-0 encounter

Lions Gibraltar claimed their first win of the season in a dramatic 1-0 victory over College 1975 on Saturday night, August 31st, 2024, at Victoria Stadium. The match, marked by a tense atmosphere and a late flurry of incidents, saw Lions Gibraltar finally break the deadlock after persistent pressure, but not without enduring a tough battle against a resilient College 1975 side.
Coming off a defeat in their season opener against the Magpies, Lions Gibraltar were keen to make amends. They faced a College 1975 team that had surprised many with an opening win against Manchester 62 before being overrun by St Joseph’s last week. From the outset, Lions looked the stronger of the two sides, dominating possession and creating early chances.
Within the first few minutes, Lions set the tone for the match. In the 3rd minute, Gillipsie came close to opening the scoring when he latched onto a ball behind the defence, only to send his shot narrowly wide of the far post. Just moments later, another header by Lions glanced the side netting, signalling their intent to keep College 1975 under relentless pressure.
The early pressure from Lions continued, and by the 7th minute, College 1975 found themselves desperately clearing the ball off their goal line, with a follow-up shot from Lions rattling the crossbar. Despite their dominance, Lions failed to capitalize on their chances, and College 1975 gradually began to find their footing. It wasn’t until the 9th minute that College 1975 ventured into Lions’ half, earning a corner that provided brief respite from the onslaught.
Lions’ former national team coach David Wilson, who has taken the reins this season, was visibly frustrated on the touchline as his team’s early urgency began to wane. The team’s momentum seemed to dip, and as College 1975 settled into a defensive rhythm, Lions’ play became more disjointed. A wasted corner kick in the 20th minute exemplified the Lions’ growing frustration, while College 1975 slowly gained confidence.
The match briefly swung in College 1975’s favour when, in the 23rd minute, their forward broke through Lions’ defence, forcing Lions goalkeeper Skuza into his first save of the night. It was a rare glimpse of College 1975’s threat, as they showed they were capable of exploiting any lapses in Lions’ defence.
As the first half progressed, Lions continued to dominate possession but struggled to break down a now compact and disciplined College 1975 defence. A free-kick opportunity in the 38th minute saw Flynn’s well-placed shot parried comfortably by College’s goalkeeper Valades, who was having a standout performance against his former club.
By halftime, the score remained 0-0, a frustrating outcome for a Lions side that had controlled much of the match but failed to find the back of the net. College 1975, buoyed by their ability to withstand the pressure, returned to the pitch for the second half with renewed determination.
The second half started with both teams showing more urgency, but neither side could create clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges. Lions quickly resumed control of the match, but College 1975’s defence held firm. In the 50th minute, Gillespie flicked a free kick across goal, but no Lions player could capitalize, and the chance went begging.
The match took a dramatic turn when College 1975’s Moreno was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge in Lions’ half, leaving his team to play with ten men for the second consecutive match. The dismissal sparked further controversy as College’s players protested the decision, resulting in additional bookings.
Despite their numerical advantage, Lions struggled to make it count. Gillespie had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 58th minute when he was awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge in the box. However, Valades, who had been exceptional all evening, produced a stunning save, diving to his left to push Gillespie’s spot-kick past the post.
The breakthrough finally came in the 71st minute when Marquez struck a long-range shot that caught Valades off guard, the ball whizzing past him into the net. The goal brought relief to Lions, who had laboured for much of the match to find a way through College’s resilient defence.
Lions pushed for a second goal to seal the match, with Theisinger coming close in the 75th minute, only to be denied by another brilliant save from Valades. The intensity of the match escalated as Lions’ Theisinger was shown a red card in the 77th minute for an unnecessary foul inside College’s penalty area, reducing both teams to ten men.
College 1975, emboldened by the dismissal, began to search for an equalizer in the final minutes, even sending goalkeeper Valades forward for a corner in the dying moments. However, Lions’ defence held firm, despite a late scare when College 1975 struck the crossbar deep into injury time.
The final whistle blew with Lions Gibraltar securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory, but the post-match scenes were marred by an altercation between players and staff from both teams. The Gibraltar Football Association is expected to investigate the incident, which was captured on the live stream, showing punches being thrown and tempers flaring.
Lions Gibraltar, who had invested heavily in their squad during the off-season, will need to reflect on their inability to convert dominance into a more comfortable win, especially after failing to capitalize on a numerical advantage for much of the match. College 1975, despite the defeat, will take heart from their resilient display and look to build on the positives in the coming weeks.

Teams:

Lions Gibraltar FC: Skuza (GK), Bautista, Hamdi, Breakspear (C) (Edzes - 63’), Livingstone (Perez - 85’), Theisinger, Flynn Gillespie, Seaton, Ziric (Peters - 90’), Marques Alves Silva, Awoyale (Ndjoli - 63’).

College 1975 FC: Valades Gonzalez (GK), Azopardi, Britto, Anaya Rojas, Moreno Jimenez, Pacheco Lopez (C), Martinez, Zammitt (Duo (Jnr) - 58’), Rodriguez (McCarthy - 79’), Jimenez (Franco - 79’), Hastings (Skuza - 69’).