Under 21s hold to 0-2 defeat at hands of Georgia

Georgia exerted themselves in the field from the start. Harry Victor was busy with several clearances from his goalmouth within the first twenty minutes. Gibraltar kept a disciplined defensive line against a side seeking to break the deadlock early but found it hard to get through Gibraltar’s tight defensive formation.

It was not the warm, sunny spring weather many had hoped for; instead, the weather played more in favor of the visitors, with a cold, chilly breeze sweeping through the stadium. Things got colder for Gibraltar as Lasha Odisharia ran across the top of the penalty area, with Gibraltar’s defense not really challenging hard enough to deter him. At the top half of the penalty area, he unleashed a low-driven ball to the far post where Victor was unable to reach out at full stretch to save, putting Georgia ahead after 25 minutes.

Gibraltar struggled to respond, with Georgia pushing them back into their own area once again. Like waves on a windswept day, Georgia swept forward time after time searching for a second goal, with the tide against Gibraltar throughout the better part of the first half. They had few to no chances to take the game into Georgia’s half. A spirited run from Richards took Gibraltar deep into Georgia’s half but did not last long before the visitors returned on the offensive and earned a corner after a good block from Victor.

Georgia did not find a way to add to their tally before the halftime break, with the Gibraltar U21s holding fast to their duties but not creating any chances themselves. The frustrations of not scoring and the eagerness to do so earned Gagnidze a yellow card after shooting over the bar well after the referee had whistled for an offside. Georgia headed into the halftime break with just a solitary goal lead.

Georgia continued pounding at Gibraltar’s goal in the early part of the second half, with some outstanding saves from Victor keeping them out as Gibraltar defended deep. As they reached the seventieth minute, it was one-way traffic, with Georgia intensifying the pressure on Gibraltar’s penalty area. Georgia also didn’t shy away from harsh challenges as Gibraltar tried to break, with Borge getting hacked down at the halfway line as he attempted to break free.

A handball in the seventy-third minute as Gibraltar defended a cross from the right wing provided Georgia with a penalty, giving them their second goal, with Victor getting fingertips to the ball but not enough to stop it from going in. Gibraltar tried to take the game to Georgia but struggled to find a way through despite advancing their lines. However, it was Georgia who, two minutes into injury time, saw a shot go just over the crossbar. Gibraltar held on as Georgia pressured for the final minutes, and the match ended with Georgia taking the three points with a 0-2 victory.