Nine-man Glacis United beat Mons Calpe 2-1

Glacis United, who had hastily assembled their squad just days before the league kickoff, delivered an unexpected opening blow against Mons Calpe in the twentieth minute. A precisely executed header from a corner soared into the top corner, eluding the goalkeeper’s grasp and surprising everyone.

The first twenty minutes of the match witnessed a finely balanced struggle, with both teams fiercely contesting the upper hand. Glacis United’s goal brought them a sense of security, allowing them to dictate the pace and assert their presence on the pitch.

However, Mons Calpe remained undeterred in their quest for an equalizer. Glacis came agonizingly close to scoring again on the 35th minute, as another header from a corner struck the crossbar and bounced tantalizingly close to the goal line before being cleared. A subsequent header from a Glacis player narrowly missed the crossbar by inches.

As the first half progressed, Glacis continued to gain momentum, pushing Mons Calpe onto the back foot. On the 37th minute, what appeared to be a lost cause resulted in a low, precise pass from inside the penalty area that found the mark. Despite a valiant dive by Fraiz, the ball slipped beneath him, securing Glacis United’s second goal and a two-goal lead heading into halftime.

While Glacis United had faced uncertainties during the summer, their first-half performance offered a glimpse of their on-field strengths. They dominated against a team that had consistently vied for a spot in the top six during past seasons. The battle between Glacis and other teams competing for positions within the lower tier of the top six continued this season, with Glacis claiming a crucial three points in this encounter.

Positioned well on the field, Glacis compelled Mons Calpe to resort to long-ball tactics in the latter minutes of the first half. However, a twist of fate saw Glacis United reduced to nine men after Pizzaro received his second yellow card, followed shortly by goalkeeper Carlin’s dismissal. With an outfield player forced to step in as goalkeeper, Glacis faced a selection crisis for their next match.

The second half saw Mons Calpe tasked with mounting a comeback, while Glacis United remained resolute in defending their two-goal lead. Mons Calpe finally tested the makeshift keeper after seven minutes with a softly delivered cross confidently collected.

Mons Calpe found themselves pushed back into their own half as Glacis continued to advance. A long-range shot from the center circle, bouncing off the bar into the net, finally gave Mons Calpe the goal they sought, narrowing the deficit and breaching Glacis’s defensive wall.

The match featured a growing tally of yellow cards for both sides, and Mons Calpe’s attempts at an equalizer mainly involved long-range shots that frequently missed their mark.

With twenty minutes remaining, Glacis’s makeshift goalkeeper remained largely untested, thanks to a steadfast defensive performance. Glacis seized opportunities to press forward, searching for a third goal, even when sending only three players to contest a free kick, while ensuring their defense stayed vigilant to prevent counterattacks.

As the match neared its conclusion, Mons Calpe struggled to conjure scoring opportunities, with their closest chance coming from an 88th-minute shot that struck the outside of the post. Instead, it was Glacis United who appeared more menacing on the counter, despite tiring legs.

Glacis came closest to a third goal in the 93rd minute, with a shot narrowly missing the target after catching Mons Calpe’s defense off guard. In the dying moments of injury time, both teams had goals disallowed for offside—first Glacis United, followed by Mons Calpe.

In the end, Mons Calpe failed to equalize, and against the odds, Glacis United secured a remarkable 2-1 victory with just nine players on the field and an improvised goalkeeper.