Mons Calpe knock Lynx out of Cup after controversial disallowed goal

Sixteen minutes into the quarter-final match between Mons Calpe and Lynx, the latter would have felt hard done by. A goal disallowed by referee Seth Galia was as controversial as they come. The Mons Calpe keeper, having failed to hold the ball cleanly as he came out for it, found himself forced into a second attempt. At that moment, Bilal came in from behind and managed to get a foot to the ball, putting it into the net. Although replays showed that the keeper was not holding the ball at the time, referee Galia did not have the same luxury as viewers and disallowed the goal. His linesman also seemingly not having seen it.

It was a tense encounter in which a fluid first twenty minutes produced few clear goal opportunities but was played at a quick tempo.

In the 20th minute, Toledani received a cross inside the six-yard box but was unable to direct his header on target, the ball sailing over the crossbar in what was Mons Calpe’s clearest chance to break the deadlock.

Although it was not the most exciting first half, with very few goal chances, it was nevertheless a tightly contested affair in which neither side could claim to have had the upper hand.

In the 42nd minute, Mons Calpe saw an attempt blocked after a through ball had exposed Lynx behind the defence, with Huart’s foot stopping the effort.

A sunny Sunday, with blue skies and sunshine over Europa Point, marked a welcome change after nearly three weekends of severe weather affecting matches.

However, with Gibraltar in the middle of a bank holiday weekend and the midterm school break, the Rock Cup quarter-final was never likely to see a significant rise in attendance. It was a further sign that, even in a knockout competition, club football in Gibraltar continues to struggle to attract spectators.

Mons Calpe, who in recent years have gained a reputation as a side unafraid to display their physical game, were to meet their match. Lynx, from the start of the second half, showed they too were prepared to get stuck in physically — something already evident in the first half.

Referee Seth Galia allowed the match to flow but ensured it did not get out of hand, stamping his authority on proceedings when required.

The deadlock was broken in the 55th minute. A moment of lacklustre defending by Lynx — with only Bilal chasing back while others watched — allowed Mons Calpe to squeeze the ball past Huart.

Lynx looked rattled and nearly conceded a second, momentarily appearing caught in the headlights like a rabbit on the road. Huart produced a timely stop to keep his side in the game.

A brief pause due to an injury to a Mons Calpe player allowed Lynx to regroup and search for an equaliser.

Time-wasting tactics also began to emerge from Mons Calpe, with fouls followed by theatrical rolling on the ground and throw-ins taking longer than necessary.

Entering the final twenty minutes, Lynx found themselves forced onto the defensive as Mons Calpe increased the pressure in search of a second goal to seal the game.

In the 68th minute, Lynx stole possession as Mons Calpe attempted to work the ball across the pitch. However, after advancing into the penalty area, a miscued shot ended up flying over the stadium roof.

Lynx struggled to find spaces to threaten Mons Calpe’s lead. Their closest opportunity came in the 80th minute when a long ball to Bilal forced him wide, away from goal, where he could only block the keeper’s attempted clearance.

Mons Calpe responded by forcing the Lynx defence to scramble the ball clear from their goalmouth as the Red and Blacks found their way forward with ease.

Rather than sitting back to protect their lead, Mons Calpe chose to pile on the pressure, forcing Lynx deeper into their own half and to build from the back. Even with Morgan introduced late in the second half, Lynx struggled to penetrate Mons Calpe’s final third.

Much of Lynx’s forward momentum came from the tireless work of recent signing Bilal Douah, who joined the club from Lions Gibraltar. His presence in Lynx’s midfield added strength and energy, but it was not enough to produce the decisive final pass.

A late push from Lynx saw Mons Calpe defending deep, but without real danger. Mons Calpe ultimately secured their place in the semi-finals of the Rock Cup.