Three first half goals sees Bulgaria U21 beat Gibraltar U21

Bulgaria U21 3-0 Gibraltar U21

Slow marking in the early stages of the first half allowed Bulgaria to take the lead. A quick surge forward saw the ball played behind Gibraltar’s defence, collected by an unmarked player, who smashed it past Victor.

The second goal came in the 25th minute. Bulgaria had piled on the pressure, with Harry Victor doing well to push one shot onto the post before it was cleared for a corner. His defence then blocked a couple of attempts, as did he, with Bulgaria forcing more corners before finally taking their chance and powering the ball in. Victor managed the initial stop but had no chance to prevent the follow-up.

Victor Ochello’s young team were being bombarded from all sides but held their ground as best they could. The pitch left much to be desired, with divots scattered all over.

In the 30th minute, Gibraltar had a free kick. The ball was delivered well and met with a strong header, forcing a save from the Bulgarian keeper. Gibraltar’s confidence began to grow as the half wore on; they started to stall Bulgaria’s advances and pushed the hosts further up the field, forcing them to defend at times when Gibraltar held possession.

Several harsh challenges went Bulgaria’s way, leading to questions over the referee’s decisions as the whistle appeared to favour the hosts. Just like the previous evening’s match between Gibraltar and Albania, Gibraltar fell foul of another controversial penalty decision in the 41st minute.

Carrington was penalised after dispossessing a Bulgarian player and being pushed to the ground. A foul was given against him, and he was shown a yellow card. The resulting free ball was played into the middle, and as a shot came in, the ball struck a Gibraltar player’s arm. His arms were already pressed against his body, and there was no intent to use them. Yet, with no VAR and despite clear evidence that his arm position was natural, the referee awarded a penalty. Bulgaria converted to make it 3–0.

Although Gibraltar fielded a much-changed side, it was not lacking in experience. Players such as Julian Britto, now a regular with Bruno Magpies; Carrington, who had been with the senior team; Victor, considered third-choice goalkeeper for the senior squad; and Clinton, now earning a place in Lincoln’s senior team, all featured.

Gibraltar started the second half well, absorbing Bulgaria’s initial pressure and finding space to create their own attacks. Bulgaria came close in the 54th minute with a chipped effort that went just wide, but they no longer dominated play as they had in the first half. The match opened up with more space for both teams to exploit.

Gibraltar had chances to push forward while still risking some dangerous counters, which saw Victor tested. Growing in confidence despite the three-goal deficit, they produced several strong runs, maintained possession, and forced defensive blocks as they tried their luck.

By the 70th minute, Gibraltar’s back four stood firm against a Bulgarian surge, blocking a potential goal before confidently clearing the resulting corner. They then stretched the lines to open more space for attacking play.

In the 72nd minute, a well-floated free kick into the box was met with a strong header that forced a brilliant save from the Bulgarian keeper, resulting in a corner.

A stronger second-half presence ensured Bulgaria could not add to their tally as the game entered the final ten minutes. As fatigue set in, Gibraltar were pushed deeper to defend, but it was the Bulgarian players who were receiving treatment for cramps.

Brave defending, with bodies thrown in front of shots during the four minutes of injury time, kept the scoreline intact. Gibraltar even created one final chance when the Bulgarian keeper was forced off his line to block, just moments before the final whistle.