Ten-man Lincoln breeze to victory against College

Lincoln Red Imps 5
College 1975 1

Fifty-five seconds into the match, and with their first attack, Lincoln was awarded a penalty. Nano made no mistake, drilling it past the keeper.
With the match one-way traffic toward College 1975’s goal, it wasn’t long before the second goal went up. College found themselves stuck in defensive roles, simply smashing the ball forward to clear their lines, with little hope for any offensive play. You could be forgiven for thinking Lincoln was patiently playing as if it were a practice match.
They did enough to dominate possession, constantly probing College for a third goal, though without the fast-paced urgency seen in previous matches. Six matches in three weeks were already taking their toll, and with a two-goal lead, Lincoln’s points seemed all but secure by the half-hour mark.
At 35 minutes, what looked like a lost ball down the byline was collected by Dan Bent, who sparked a series of weaving passes through College’s defence, ending in Lincoln’s third goal via Britto. Anyone watching could be forgiven for thinking this was a training exercise, as the quality difference between the two sides was evident on the field.
This highlights the extent to which teams like Lincoln, competing in European competitions and benefiting from greater resources, have strengthened beyond the scope of lower-level teams like College 1975.
In the 43rd minute, a cross from the right flank skimmed the ground and was met by Nano, who squeezed the ball in at the near post for 4-0.
Lincoln went into the halftime break with a comfortable four-goal lead, expending minimal effort for a Sunday Gibraltar National League match.
The second half, however, brought a different dynamic. College 1975 proved to be a more stubborn opposition and dealt Lincoln an early blow by scoring soon after the restart — only the second goal Lincoln Red Imps had conceded in the league so far, this time via a penalty.
The penalty saw Lincoln reduced to ten men, with Josema Gallego taking an early shower in the 52nd minute.
Although still dominating possession, Lincoln, now down to ten men, found College 1975 playing with newfound confidence and energy. The green and whites saw more of Lincoln’s half within the first fifteen minutes of the second half than they had in the entire first half.
Despite this shift, Lincoln continued to create the better chances, though with less frequency than before. The second half was a markedly different spectacle, with College 1975 more involved and willing to build on their possession and take the game to Lincoln. The latter defended deeper for longer periods as College carefully built from the back.
Lincoln, however, was still not at full intensity, their three-goal lead giving them enough security to pace themselves and sit back more.
As they entered the last fifteen minutes, College 1975 began to show signs of fatigue, with some players walking when not in possession, others stretching their calves, and slowing the resumption of play. The difference in physical conditioning between the sides was apparent, as Lincoln maintained their steady jog to victory while some College players laboured to chase back.
Lincoln saw a goal from Lee Casciaro in the 84th minute, but it was disallowed for offside.
What initially looked like a runaway victory that could have led to a heavy defeat for College 1975 ultimately saw Lincoln add just a single goal in the second half. This final goal came in injury time, with Lee Chipolina, who had just come on, firing a shot that rebounded off the keeper. Alex Collado reacted quickest, slotting in Lincoln’s fifth goal to close out the match.