Narrow defeat for Gibraltar U21s against North Macedonia
North Macedonia U21 1-0 Gibraltar U21
Gibraltar under 21s faced North Macedonia, who were directly above them in the table. Although Gibraltar did enter the match as underdogs with just one win from seven matches, their win against Moldova, along with Gibraltar’s record against Macedonia showing that Gibraltar can obtain results having won one of two matches played in recent years, meant that Gibraltar entered with some optimism into the match. Although Macedonia were seen as the clear favorites.
North Macedonia Under 21 started in energetic form, putting Gibraltar U21s’ defense under pressure from the first minutes. Gibraltar did produce their first threat at Macedonia’s goal within the first three minutes in response. A long ball forward chased by Borge forced a final block for a corner. The corner taken short was to see Macedonia clear their lines from danger quite quickly with an initial opportunity missed by Gibraltar to test Macedonia inside their own penalty area. Gibraltar did regain the ball and found themselves with a free kick which was floated by the number 8 into the box but far too long for forwards, giving it away to the keeper to gather quite comfortably.
Gibraltar had arrived at the match having had little time to train as a unit, with players also among those refused to have been released by clubs. The selection process did get some criticism from some quarters with players with substantially more playing time on the field and with their senior teams in the league left behind, while some players had not been playing for their clubs on a regular basis. Similarly, the decision to take a large number of players with the senior team for the matches against Lithuania diminished the selectors’ choices. Questions, however, remained as to why players such as De Torres, who had played substantially more than others, had remained without selection in favor of players who had warmed the benches for longer this season. The youngster having recently been a regular in Manchester 62’s first eleven and seen as one of the emerging growing talents.
The Gibraltar U21, however, were not playing for anything other than pride after having lost all but one of their matches in their group up to then and not anywhere near close to the top of the group. They could, however, cause an upset by trying to come away with points against Macedonia who were directly above them in the table with the same points although having played two matches less.
Gibraltar did show some character early on in the first half. Some confident play from the likes of Carlos Richards and Clinton allowed Gibraltar to push forward. This slowing Macedonia down and forcing them to start to rebuild from the back when in possession. With the first quarter of an hour gone, Gibraltar had managed to slow Macedonia’s very early push forward down to a trickle forcing play towards the middle third of the field with Avellano with little to do.
Macedonia had their first clearest chance on the seventeenth minute with a ball going across goal and then deflected to corner when the second shot came in. Gibraltar’s defense doing enough to ensure that the danger was cleared from the corner. The home side started to regain their footing in the game and started to force Gibraltar back into their own half to defend. Gibraltar maintaining their discipline were halting Macedonia’s progress. The home side struggling to find the opportunities to have a crack at goal as many had expected from this match.
Some brave defending from Britto left him reeling on the ground after taking a direct blow from a power shot onto his body as he put his body on the line to block a shot. The pause whilst the player was treated allowed Gibraltar some time to regroup and break Macedonia’s fluidity momentarily after some moments of intense pressure.
On the 25th Minute, Gibraltar were again defending a corner, once again able to clear their lines. However, losing the ball up front Macedonia where quick to send a long ball deep forward which Avellano failed to handle providing Macedonia with a second corner. Although initially cleared, the ball was to find its way back into the penalty area where Avellano this time did well to come out and block a shot getting injured in the process as a late challenge made contact. Maksimov receiving a yellow card for the late challenge.
With half an hour of play already gone, Gibraltar had already shown more spirit and confidence on the ball than in the early group matches in which they had failed to impress. Buoyed by their win against Moldova away from home Gibraltar had something to prove. They were however, to content with the fact they were still considered the underdogs and the home side were clearly dominant in possession.
Macedonia was to claim for a penalty on the half hour as Gibraltar’s defense blocked a shot. The ball hitting the player’s chest but believed by Macedonia to have hit his arm. Play was to go immediately to the other end where Gibraltar’s Under 21 were to earn a freekick at the edge of the box. Borge’s kick going over the bar without troubling the keeper. The St Joseph’s forward disappointed with his effort.
As the match approached the final ten minutes of the first half, Gibraltar were being forced back into their half by a home side clearly frustrated at how they had not been able to break the deadlock. On the 37th minute, Clinton was to deliver a floated ball into the penalty area which Borge was eventually to get hold of and trying to lob the keeper forced a corner. Macedonia momentarily struggled to clear their lines with Julian Del Rio with a final attempt which the referee judged had gone for a goal kick although the player had claimed it had been deflected.
Macedonia returned to the attack but were again frustrated by a solid defensive display which forced them into a rush which ended in a goal kick. Gibraltar failed to retain possession with a long goal kick ending up at Macedonia’s feet again and allowing them back into to take the game into Gibraltar’s half.
Borge was lucky not to be sanctioned for a two-footed lunge which went unpunished but left his opponent limping. The final minutes of the half, which in the past had proven to be moments of vulnerability for Gibraltar saw Macedonia maintaining their momentum forward with Gibraltar defending deep. It was Macedonia’s Fetai who was to receive the next booking with a late challenge leaving his arm up to meet the face of his opponent not viewed kindly by the referee or Gibraltar’s bench. Five minutes of injury time saw Gibraltar having to maintain their composure at the back for longer. Gibraltar penned back held their ground maintaining the deadlock to the frustrations of the home side. The first half finishing goalless with Gibraltar having shown they were not willing to sit back and defend, having taken the match to their opponents on many occasions.
Gibraltar’s Under 21 were first out for the second half, although making Macedonia wait as Ochello and his staff asked them for a final warm-up. Kicking off the second half, Gibraltar set about with a long ball which once again proved futile. It was only some alert midfield which saw Gibraltar retain the possession they had started off with before another long ball into open space gave the ball back unnecessarily to Macedonia. This allowed the home side to get back to their offensive footing. Gibraltar saw some deep defending as the ball was put across the goal. Macedonia returning to regain possession and maintained their momentum forward. Gibraltar lucky not to be caught out at the back post when a ball over the defense exposed the lack of marking. A slow reaction by Macedonia’s front men aiding Gibraltar. With five minutes of the second half played, Gibraltar had to scramble to force Macedonia to fail from hitting the target as they defended dangerously inside their own six-yard box.
Macedonia regained possession immediately and set about to go on the offensive. Once again, Gibraltar’s deep defending at the back early on in the second half, as has been seen in previous matches, cost them dearly. A corner allowed to reach players at the back post saw Abazi heading home unmarked, giving the hosts the lead in the fifty-third minute. Gibraltar found themselves backtracking immediately after as the home side took control of possession again. Avellano was forced to block by his near post as Macedonia searched for their second.
The goal took the wind out of Gibraltar’s sails and saw them starting to sit deep in defense, in deep contrast to their first-half display. Coombes was forced to block at the near post. Ochello made his first second-half change with Del Rio coming off for Shay Jones, a move which saw a midfielder playing upfront coming off for a forward.
This did little at first to change Gibraltar’s position on the field as Macedonia continued with their momentum. Gibraltar’s front line did not get the delivery they needed, with continued long, high balls ending with Macedonia clearing or regaining possession. As Gibraltar arrived at the hour mark, they had not had a shot at goal in the second half.
Macedonia had not tested Avellano more due to their frontline’s lack of efficiency, with several opportunities missed, including at least three miscued attempts at goal. Sparse marking allowed space for Macedonia to play into. As the minutes ticked away, Macedonia continued to grow in confidence with little in the way of an offensive break from Gibraltar, who now sat deep in their half.
It was not until the 69th minute that Gibraltar saw some action at the other end. Jones beat his marker to the ball as his opponent thought it was going out and put pressure on Macedonia’s defense, earning a corner. Rush’s ball was initially cleared by Macedonia’s keeper. However, he was to give away an unnecessary foul as Macedonia looked as if they could break, but Gibraltar still had numbers back. This gave the home side possession once again and a chance to slow things down with substitutions.
Once again with possession, Macedonia set about to build slowly from the back. Britto was forced to concede a corner as he found himself facing two players down the flank heading towards goal. Although clearing the danger again and then again, the long ball gave Macedonia the ball back, giving little breathing space to regroup.
On the seventy-fourth minute, Semovski failed to beat Avellano with what ended up as a soft volley in front of goal which Avellano saved with ease. Gibraltar eventually were able to have some moments at the other end of the field which forced Macedonia to defend deep. Borge and Carlos Richards mainly drove forward the offensive play. A free kick from Clinton on the 78th was easily held by the keeper.
Macedonia immediately responded with a quick drive forward which led to another corner kick. Gibraltar defended with everyone inside the box, impeding Macedonia from a further attempt. On the eightieth minute, a great intervention from Avellano denied Macedonia the second. Abazi, having run free from his marker, unleashed a shot to the near post which Avellano reacted well to, sending it for a corner.
Rush was substituted on the 81st minute, with Ochello opting to bring on midfielder Bousselham. Gibraltar had started to gain some inches on the field as they entered the final ten minutes but risked being exposed with quick breaks which kept the likes of Britto busy. Goalkeeper Avellano did well on the 84th to clear the danger from a corner but ended up clutching at his back although not asking for treatment. With a chance to put the pressure on the other foot, Gibraltar gained a corner on the 86th minute. This flung to the far post forced a second consecutive corner. Clinton sent it to the near post which was easily cleared. Gibraltar tried to put some momentum offensively but were not able to find the equaliser.
Gibraltar under 21s next play Georgia. Georgia sit second in Group C, three points clear of Sweden in third. This is despite only scoring four goals in the qualifying campaign so far – just one more than Gibraltar. In the last meeting between the two sides, Georgia took the three points, winning 2-0 after two early goals from Mamageishvili and Gordeziani in Kutaisi. Gibraltar will be looking to exact revenge when they meet at the Victoria Stadium next Tuesday. The Georgians will be looking to pull away from third-place Sweden with a win against Gibraltar. Gibraltar’s U21’s will still be missing some key players from their win over Moldova, with James Scanlon, Liam Jessop, Tayler Carrington, and Jaiden Bartolo all being called up by Julio Ribas to the Senior Men’s National Team for the upcoming UEFA Nations League playoffs against Lithuania.
