St Joseph’s jump back to top of the league as second round nears final weeks

The Gibraltar Football League table saw St Joseph regain top spot as they secured three crucial points and leapfrogging Lincoln Red Imps who this weekend rested.
Equal now on matches played, St Joseph claim an early advantage as they look towards heading into the final round in the coming weeks, also in the knowledge that they have he head to head advantage over Lincoln Red Imps having won their first two encounters from the three they will play.
The league also saw a comeback from Europa who are now within grasping distance of finishing in the top six if they can continue to produce the results. A draw against Manchester 62 ensuring they climbed further up the table.
The weekend of football action started with Brunos Magpies securing their third place position and taking all the points in their encounter against Lynx.

Brunos Magpies 2-1 Lynx
Lynx played in white against Bruno’s in black. Lynx dominated possession from the start of the match; you could easily have been forgiven for thinking that they were the ones who were third in the league.
However, the differences between the two teams came in the 14th minute when Bruno’s first real attempt at goal resulted in a score. A low ball across the goal was diverted by Avellano, but not enough to stop Bruno’s from getting a final tap-in as the ball was put back onto the goalmouth. Despite having greater possession, Lynx lacked the finishing touches and did little to trouble Magpies’ goalkeeper. Even a free kick at the edge of the box was sent well wide.
Although winning, Bruno’s head coach Nathan Rooney was far from pleased with his side, his bellowing from the touchline clearly audible from the stands as he instructed and at times reprimanded his players for their actions. Bruno Magpies, who had an opportunity to cut the gap with the second-placed team, played a risky game in the first half which could easily have led to Lynx equalizing.
Lynx, however, walked into halftime with a disheartening scoreless half for them, something which has plagued them this season and saw them entering the match still at the fringes of the top six.
Lynx started the second half pushing forward and controlling initial possession. Bruno’s were forced into their half for the first five minutes. A conceded corner ended with the ball going across Bruno’s goalmouth, but nobody from Lynx was in a position to meet Serra’s well-placed cross in the heart of Bruno’s goalmouth. Bruno’s were happy to slow down the pace and build from the back, protecting their lead and not giving away ground.
After just eight minutes of the second half, Bruno’s showed why they were third in the league. Their first incursion into Magpies’ territory saw the ball reach the byline and back across goal; a quick tap-in caught Lynx off guard. Avellano tried his best to scoop the ball away from goal but only managed to send it directly back to Martinez, who didn’t hesitate to double their lead.
This was a blow for Lynx, who found themselves on the back foot as the air had been momentarily squeezed out of them. Lynx had to wait until the 69th minute, where a mistake by Bruno’s defense, faltering through overconfidence, saw Lynx cut the margin to a solitary goal. Lynx, having lost control of the match, saw Bruno’s take over possession and make numerous changes. However, too comfortable with their lead, a bit of high pressure from Lynx led to Brima scoring and setting the pace as they searched for a second.
Lynx tried to find a route for a second but encountered a Bruno Magpies side who did not change their style of play, which had provided them with benefits and reduced Lynx’s opportunities. The white of Lynx had a chance through a free kick in the 85th minute, but chances were wasted, with the shot kicked straight into the defensive wall. Lopez was not really tested much by Lynx, highlighting the defensive wall Bruno’s had created in front of him and maintained throughout. That momentary lack of focus was not repeated again.
Bruno Magpies secured the three points not with attractive football or a spectator game, but rather with a no-nonsense approach of getting the job done and with the confidence that has seen them playing in Europe these past seasons. Lynx did not give up though, and five minutes into injury time came close to equalizing. Collecting from a corner kick at the edge of the box, a powerfully driven angled shot hit the side netting just inches from the post. Lynx were unlucky not to grab the equalizer late in the game.

Glacis United 1-3 St Joseph
St Joseph dominated from the start and found the net in the 33rd minute. A mistake allowed St Joseph a shot which was deflected by Mor, giving St Joseph the lead with an own goal.
Glacis had just the one chance at goal in the first half, showing how dominant St Joseph had been. The blues had Glacis penned into their half but couldn’t find another goal.
The second half started with a surprise from kick-off. Glacis attacked a St Joseph defense who were caught sleeping to score within seconds of opening the second half. The goal rattled St Joseph, who found themselves under siege by a buoyant Glacis team that seemed to have come out of the box at halftime with new confidence.
Just four minutes into the second half, St Joseph’s defense was defending against a free kick. The ball was crashed into the defensive wall. St Joseph tried to search forward but found themselves chasing back just as quickly with Glacis countering.
A frenetic first ten minutes changed the momentum of the game, with St Joseph losing control of a half they had dominated in the first half. It took St Joseph some time to regain their composure. Once they did, they responded with quite some impact. In the 56th minute, a strike from the edge of the box after their first clean sweep of passes finished with a goal.
Glacis did not sit back and pressed high to try to get back into the match. Having already tested St Joseph and found them vulnerable, Glacis did not hesitate to try the same and press on. In the 58th minute, winning a free kick which needed to be scrambled from the goalmouth after defense and keeper got in each other’s way. St Joseph managed to come out of it unscathed but showing vulnerability.
Glacis looked to try and expose St Joseph again but found themselves well halted in their pace by a St Joseph side that had regained their composure. This forced wide gaps between Glacis’ defense and front line which favored St Joseph, who started to control possession.
On the 65th minute, St Joseph extended their lead with a third goal. This further deflated Glacis, giving St Joseph even greater control over the game. Glacis now sat further back, protecting their goal with only the two front men chasing forward when opportunities opened.
St Joseph searched for a fourth goal, but it was Glacis in the 73rd minute who came the closest with a shot going across the goal inches past the post. Glacis had a further chance in the 78th, forcing Banda to go down to block when again Glacis on a quick break found an opportunity to shoot.
St Joseph, although dominating, had not created another chance as they entered the final ten minutes. Glacis pressed on at St Joseph and created a handful of chances in this final ten minutes.
St Joseph had their own with Borge in a quick counter that left him one on one against the Glacis keeper but the latter coming away with a block to deny him. As they entered injury time, a St Joseph side who had secured their victory looked confident on the ball as Glacis tired.
The 3-1 victory opened a one-point gap for St Joseph at the top of the table, giving them an advantage against closest rivals Lincoln Red Imps as they approached the final round of the league.

Manchester 62 1-1 Europa FC
Just 23 seconds in, Europa snatched a ball at the edge of the penalty box, and a Manchester defender tripped, resulting in a free kick. The ball was cleared at the edge of the goalmouth. Manchester 62 responded with a shot after two and a half minutes. Six minutes in, Manchester broke free in a quick counter. The challenge that came in as Ruiz readied to shoot ended in a foul and subsequent penalty. Ruiz put it through the middle to make it 1-0 early in what has been an open six minutes of play.
Europa responded, trying a couple of quick breaks, but Manchester’s defense was up for the challenge and focused. Europa had to chase the game as Manchester protected their lead and was more than willing to play the short pass and pass back to the keeper to slow the game down.
A cheeky attempt from Labrador from close to the halfway line saw the ball go just over Manchester 62’s goal, with the goalkeeper forced to backtrack. Just moments later, Manchester responded, with Ruiz getting a chance as the ball was chipped over defenders. However, even before Ruiz got a touch, he was signaled offside. Twenty minutes had gone by, and the only real shot on target was the one that led to Manchester’s goal.
Unlike other sports, the match coincided with the Manchester derby between United and City, competing for viewership. This was evident in the stands.
Ruiz was causing problems for Europa on the 22nd minute. He hustled his way away from two markers to lay a ball, which was struck low but easy for the keeper to collect. With 33 minutes gone, del Rio thought he had scored, but it was ruled offside. The calls against the referee saw a yellow card given to the bench after the disallowed goal. Europa had their chances to equalize but were ineffective in the first half. Similarly, Manchester 62 had a handful of chances at goal, mainly through Ruiz, but did not finish them off.
The second half was somewhat of a dull affair in the first fifteen minutes, with few if any real attempts at goal and somewhat disorganized on both fronts. Niggly challenges forced a start-stop game, cutting any real fluidity as they entered the hour mark. Both keepers were involved in the match, but mostly through pass-backs, one of them coming from a Manchester player inside the Europa half but opting to pass back to his keeper instead.
Manchester, who were in sixth place and not at risk of dropping after Lynx and Glacis’ defeat, had a chance of leapfrogging Mons Calpe into fifth if they secured a victory.
Europa tried to quicken the pace when in possession, but they found it hard to get past Manchester’s first line of defense. Ineffective delivery of free kicks, such as that in the 65th minute, did not make matters any easier for them. Manchester, who were happy to see the game slow down, made sure that all stop-ball situations took time to be resolved, adding to the frustration of not just Europa but also the fans.
Manchester 62 were fortunate that a handball as the ball ricocheted off players inside the box went unseen by the referee and his officials, even though Europa players called for a penalty. Both del Rio and Labrador, along with Parody, prodded at Manchester’s defense but without much success as they entered the last 15 minutes. Europa had a frustrating last 15 minutes in which they had more possession but few chances to go with it.
Just when it looked as if they would be facing defeat, seven minutes into injury time, a free kick taken short and passed to Labrador saw the latter pushed wide but somehow finding a shot that skipped in between the posts and the outstretched keeper for the equalizer. The goal, something which had looked like coming with Manchester’s frustrating play, even had their head coach bellowing by the touchline.
Manchester was unable to protect their lead and finished with just the solitary point.

Mons Calpe 2-2 Lions Gibraltar
With 74 minutes played, Mons Calpe paid the price for digging deep and not pressing on Lions as they built slowly down the flanks. A low cross across the six-yard box saw a defender stick out a leg to intercept, only to push the ball into an empty net.
Mons Calpe responded by mounting an immediate attack, which saw Lions’ defense leaving a gap in front of goal, making it easy for Mons Calpe to score. It was a reminder for Lions that the lead they had taken needed to be defended. Fortunately, the earlier goal, which they had protected well before scoring their second, still provided them with that security as they were still looking towards grabbing a further three points this season.
Mons Calpe, battling to be among the top six, needed the win; even a draw would not have been enough at a time when five teams were competing for the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots. Just Lions and College were out of the race.
Since the announced takeover of Lions, their fortunes had started to change for the better, although this had little to do with any strengthening of the team or changes in the squad. It was purely newfound confidence in which their efforts were starting to produce results.
Mons Calpe, although trying to find a way to score the equalizer, were well closed down. Silly yellow cards for Lions wasting time risked Lions holding on to their lead as they gambled on not having anyone sent off. Their record this season had seen them ending with ten, even nine men on several occasions, many due to mistakes.
This time, the mistake came from a defensive error. The keeper coming out and not clearing properly, leaving his goal unattended. Two defenders trying to cover were unable to close down the angle enough for a shot to come in and creep in at the far post as the keeper scrambled back but was unable to reach the ball.
Mons Calpe equalized in the 88th minute and still had a chance to grab the three points with the expected injury time due to time wasting, mostly coming from the Lions’ side.

Europa Point 4-0 College 1975
The final match of the weekend saw Europa Point continue with their good performance this season. Two goals in the first half and another two in the second half secured all three points against College 1975.
Europa now sit fourth in the table, four points ahead of their closest rival beneath them, Mons Calpe, and six points ahead of Lynx who sit in seventh place. With just three match days left in the second round of the competition, with Lynx among one of the teams they will have to play Europa Point could secure their place among the top six for the first time.