Manchester 62 end Lynx's season

It was a somewhat frenetic start to the match, with both teams on a high tempo and challenging for every ball. The prize was a place in the top six. For Lynx, a draw would suffice; for Manchester 62, only a win would do. With Mons Calpe having secured their three points just an hour before against St Joseph in a surprise upset, the final match of round two saw Lynx entering the match having dropped from fourth to sixth and at risk of losing out on a top six place if they did not get at least a point from the match, something which few had bargained for before the match.

Manchester was the first to get a clear chance at goal, hitting the post on the tenth minute from a corner. It was a testing time for Manchester, who had seen some discord among its players in recent weeks and led to speculation that many of its foreign players would be departing. Having been knocked out of the Rock Cup at the semi-final stage by Europa, Manchester’s hope to make up for a miserable second round was now in their own hands. A shot from Farjardo after he turned on his marker was well saved by Rae, the Lynx replacement keeper, who had not had much action with the senior side this season, and was able to tip the ball to corner. Manchester failed to capitalize on their pressure, with Lynx regaining possession. A flowing move down the left on the 17th minute saw Lynx striking over the bar in what was a clear chance to test Ruiz Canto.

After the first twenty minutes, Lynx started to assert their dominance on the match. This saw them take the lead on the 24th minute. An initial attempt, which was well parried by Canto and sent to corner, saw the corner cross cleared only to the edge of the penalty box. A mighty power drive on the run saw the ball smash past Cantos. Lynx, growing in confidence, searched immediately for a second as they noted how Manchester was in some disarray. However, they gave away a free kick, which was floated into the penalty box and caused some concern clearing. Manchester was unable to capitalize and instead were fortunate not to concede as two Lynx players faced one lone Manchester defender, luckily, the second Lynx player receiving the final pass having strayed into an offside position.

Manchester made a comeback and leveled the score with a run down the right breaking the defense and saw a cross into the center that was well struck to goal on the 33rd minute. Lynx lost the fluidity they had and found Manchester now pressing on them and penning them back momentarily. Once Lynx settled back into their own game, the match was evenly balanced, the only difference coming from Kamba who scored the second goal for Manchester with some style. On the 36th minute, he collected at the edge of the box, ran the ball in, and then weaved past three players feigning to one side then to the next as he passed them to create enough space to curl the ball past Rae.

Lynx did not sit back and, having now gone a goal behind for the first time in the match, searched to make a comeback and level the score. However, they were to get stung again, losing the ball and slow to comeback, Lynx found themselves three goals down with the ball floated into the middle and headed down to the far post on the 18th minute. Lynx, who had been the favorites to finish in the top six, now forced to search for something special to come back into the match and at least seek for a point. Just as quickly as they had searched and pressed on Manchester, the latter found itself at the other end pressing on Lynx defense with another dangerous corner which led to calls for a penalty.

Lynx regained their momentum for the last minutes before the end of the first half and created some chances to close the gap. However, Manchester, who had not shown much in the way of depth in strength during the previous weeks, were matching Lynx and showing a composure which protected their lead well. Lynx thought they had made a comeback and reduced the score on the 50th minute but found that they had an infringement called against them instead.

Manchester, who were gaining confidence every minute, were slowly eroding away at Lynx’s morale as they shot them out and made it difficult for them to find a clean route to goal. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Lynx to find their way back into the match. Manchester, settling into a rhythm, set about to close gaps and keep them back from their penalty area. At times swarming on players with two, three, even four players surrounding players with the ball and forcing Lynx to slow down and play deeper back.

Kamba, on the 73rd minute, showed why his goal had not been a fluke when he once again beat his marker to the ball and with great skill and calm dragged the ball to round the keeper before his path was cut off by two defenders at the near post. His final pass not getting to its destination. Kamba was the focal point of claims for a red card later as a late challenge saw him bring down a player inside Lynx half but go unpunished, Lynx given the advantage.

Although Lynx had the better in the fluidity of the ball and possession, their lack of firepower, something which had cost them heavily in previous seasons, was now also the main reason for them failing to finish in the top six. The high number of passes not met with the same efficiency when in the final touch. Their attempts at goal merely a handful in comparison. Kamba was substituted on the 83rd minute to the delight of Lynx fans who had seen him threaten their defense on numerous occasions and had been one of the main threats for Manchester to increase their lead further. Just moments after he was taken off, Lynx earned a free kick at the top of the penalty box. Willy took it. His curled shot met well by Cantos as he punched it over the bar. This was the closest Lynx had been to scoring in the second half. Lynx’s woes were to get worse as they ended with ten men on the field, a red card on the 92 minute ensuring their chances of a comeback were all but over.

With the second round finishing with both Lynx and Europa in the bottom half of the league table alongside Lions, College 1975, and Glacis United, the ever-changing fates of clubs in Gibraltar also came to the forefront. Europa had been a frequent feature in the top six, while Lynx and Lions had been among the clubs who had enjoyed regular top six finishes. While Europa’s fate had been forecast, Lions' failure to present a challenge although expected had not been something foreseen prior to the start of the season. Lynx’s failure, however, highlighted how close the middle of the table was with five teams having been within grasping distance. Europa Point, who qualified to be in the top six for the first time with the highest-ever finish after the second round in their history, also competed against Manchester and Mons Calpe for a final spot in the last matchday of round two.