Despite two late red cards, Lynx won comfortably 3-0 against Europa Point in the second part of today’s double header.
Lynx started the better and went ahead after three minutes, with a cross from Michael Ruiz being turned into his own net by a Europa Point defender. While Lynx dominated most of the first half, goalkeeper Bradley Banda, who made 17 saves for the Gib U21s this week, had to be kept busy to ensure Europa Point did not equalise in the 27th minute.
Just before half time, Lynx struck a hammer blow, as Dylan Hernandez, who proved to be a good threat for the club last season, doubled his sides lead, helping Albert Parody’s side on to eventual victory.
Lynx controlled most of the second half, and eventually wrapped up the game in the 82nd minute, as Aritz Hernandez headed past former Europa youngster Daniel Tudela to make it 3-0, which should have made it an easy end to the game.
However, Lynx somehow managed to pick up two late red cars, to locals Brad Power and Javan Parody, to ensure that despite the victory, there would be some negatives for the team to work on.
Lynx FC released a press statement last night, warning that “Football in Gibraltar might never return fully to the way it was before 2020” after Public Health protocols applying to the league became public knowledge.
After comments in the Gibraltar Chronicle yesterday by Public Health Director, Dr Sohail Bhatti, revealed that football was the only sport on the Rock being subjected to mass testing, due to football being “a business” in his eyes, Lynx released the statement, highlighting hypocrisies in the mass testing approach to football as a ‘business’, compared to other such ‘businesses’ in Gibraltar.
Lynx CEO, Jonathan Costa, who wrote the statement, went on to say: “Dr Bhatti will not be in a position to speak for what is best for Football but what we can say is that Smaller clubs are not in a position to sustain.” He also points out that: “Dr Bhatti’s plans to do ‘mass testing’ of players and officials on the sidelines of tournaments is impractical at this stage.” He finally warned that: “
“With Football constantly running the risk of being cancelled or postponed until further notice, there has been a concern that lower-ranked teams who depend on competition will be financially hit.
If we continue with this trend, Football in Gibraltar might never return fully to the way it was before 2020.”
The statement comes after it was revealed that Gibraltar’s league has been placed under arguably the strictest rules in Europe – only ONE positive test for a player or official is required for a game to be postponed, and clubs would stand to lose significant sums of money should this happen. Meanwhile, clubs can only have 25 people at matches, which includes the squad of up to 18 players, plus coaching staff. It was also revealed in the Chronicle that Public Health asked if football could reduce the number of players on the pitch – a request which was denied on the grounds that football is obviously an 11-a-side game.
Part Three of our Gibraltar National League preview sees us take a look at Lynx, Manchester 62, Mons Calpe and St Joseph’s.
Name: Lynx FC
Next game: Europa Point (17/10/2020)
2019/20 League finish: 4th
Given the budget they have compared to the likes of Magpies and those above them, Lynx definitely punched above their weight last season, and finished in a deserved 4th place.
The challenge this season will be to build upon last year’s efforts, and ensure that they weren’t a one-off. As always, Albert Parody has reinforced his side with new signings, but it will be some of the longer term players who could carry them back to another top 6 finish.
Bradley Banda will hope to play as well for Lynx as he did for the Gib U21s the other day, while up front Alberto Valdivia could prove crucial in tight games.
Name: Manchester 62
Next game: Lions Gibraltar (17/10/2020)
2019/20 League finish: 9th
Last season didn’t end how Manchester would have liked it, with an 11-1 defeat to Mons, but they will be looking for more stability in the managerial department this season, and David Wilson should be able to ensure that.
A top 6 finish admittedly seems unlikely, but unlike most teams in the league, they will have no problem fulfilling their HGP requirements – the clubs focus on developing young, local talent, even if it is at the expense of results sometimes, has to be applauded.
Michael Negrette has returned from a short spell at Lincoln and adds a bit extra to the team, while this could also be a big season for Scott Ballantine, who showed his versatility after returning to the club last season.
Name: Mons Calpe
Next game: Glacis United (16/10/2020)
2019/20 League finish: 7th
Very much the underachievers last year before Christmas, Mons will hope to build on a good 2020 in the league and cup, to try and push for a top 6 finish this time out.
HGP’s have always been an issue for Mons, but this summer they have seemingly kept the core of their locals, while also adding experience in the shape of former Gibraltar keeper Jordan Perez.
The main issue for Mons Calpe will be ensuring off-pitch issues are kept to an absolute minimum, and the ones that are currently there need sorting as soon as possible – if they don’t, they will not finish in the top 6 this time out.
Name: St Joseph’s
Next game: FC Boca (18/10/2020)
2019/20 League finish: 2nd
Saints had a great season last time out, pushing Europa all the way while also keeping Lincoln an arms length away. They were unlucky not to get a result in Europe vs B36, but the signs showed another good season awaits.
Saints squad stability has been a key factor in their success, and again this season they have only added a small handful of players, including Gib international Erin Barnett and former Gib United midfielder Carlos Carrasco.
The only real challenge for Saints and Raul Procopio will be adapting his side to the new HGP rules – he will have to be sensible around rotating when needed as a couple of local injuries could hurt them.
Up front though, the pairing of Juanfri and Boro remains, and should be as potent as ever in winning games for the side, while new signing Pedro Fernandez looked promising in his cameo in the Europa League – that front three could prove difficult for even Europa and Lincoln to handle at times.
With only four games remaining, the Gibraltar FA called off the league making it null and void. The European spots were handed out but no league winner announced. Here is our early review of the Championship Group.
Europa FC – 1st
While not being crowned champions has clearly left a very bitter taste in the mouths of all at Europa, they should no doubt still be happy at how their season went until the point of the league being terminated. From their opening week, eye-catching 4-1 win against Lincoln, Europa went on to be virtually unstoppable in the league, bar for a dramatic 2-2 draw against St Joseph’s in September which they were lucky not to lose.
They were of course expected to challenge for the title strongly, but few would have perhaps expected them to be unbeaten – past Europa sides have had a habit of very avoidable defeats that have cost them in the league dearly, but this Europa side, even when going behind in games, never looked like losing 99% of the time.
The emergence of Dayle Coleing in goal was a major plus for Rafael Escobar’s side, while the signing of Juampe from Balona was an inspired addition to a team who have never had trouble scoring. The plan for next season will be to try and maintain those levels, with St Joseph’s and Lincoln likely to be champing at the bit hoping to bring Europa down a peg or two.
St Joseph’s – 2nd
After years of coming so close in breaking the top two’s league dominance, Saints finally reached their potential this season. Sitting in second, five points behind Europa and five points in front of Lincoln with four games remaining.
Overall their season exceeded expectations – their Europa League campaign was memorable, came within minutes of beating Europa but would draw 2-2 in the final minute and did the league double of Lincoln.
The most important bit for Procopio and his men is to keep the same momentum and consistency going into whenever football restarts in Gibraltar.
Lincoln Red Imps – 3rd
For a team who have for so many years been the all-conquering, dominant force of local football, a third-place finish for Lincoln is disappointing – in fact, it is the first season they haven’t finished in the top two since the 1999/2000 season, where they finished fourth in a six-team league.
While they continued to beat the teams below them, normally with some ease, Lincoln came unstuck against both Europa and St Joseph’s, losing all four meetings against their title rivals. This saw their title hopes drift away in February, but there were some positive signs for the club, most notably the emergence of Julian Del Rio into the first team.
Next seasons aim for Lincoln has to be to appoint the right manager, after German Crespo’s departure earlier this week, and try to keep them in charge for a longer period than their last few managers – they have the squad, especially in attack, to challenge for titles, but stability is key if Lincoln wants to climb back on top of local football once again.
Lynx FC – 4th
Lynx was another team that started the season great, a 4th place finish is their highest since the 2014-15 season. Their three Croatians Hrvoje Bukvic, Ed Kokorovic, and Marko Marcius would play a big role in round one of the Gibraltar National League. Their departure would leave a big hole in the team and the results would show it with two wins from six games.
It has been a positive season for them though, Jaydan Parody has shown potential this season and Mohamed Badr has made the Gibraltar national team.
Brunos Magpies – 5th
Round one of the National League saw Magpies achieve their top half aims, albeit it was far less comfortable than expected, and saw the departure of David Wilson as manager, a move which proved unpopular among Magpies fanbase and seemed to hurt their attendances and atmosphere for a while after. They weren’t then helped by Alfonso Cortijo joining, only to leave for a job in China two months later, but he at least ensured they finished in the top six before the split.
Magpies issue seemed to be in beating the teams above them, with only a solitary cup win vs Lynx to their name vs the top four, so 5th place is a deserved finished, and perhaps around where the club would have hoped to finish, despite significant investment in both the summer and in January. Tight battles with St Joseph’s just before the league ended showed some hope they can battle with the big boys, presuming they don’t chop and change the squad too much this summer.
Lions Gibraltar – 6th
You can’t judge Lions’ season from their results in the Championship Group, with their financial resources not as strong as the others – the team itself knew what they were getting themselves into with a sixth-placed finish.
Lions did put in cracking performances in the Group and were unlucky not to get points on a couple of occasions. Looking at it from an overall perspective, Albert Ferri and his team showed great promise and that they don’t need to play so defensively to gain results.
Power joined Lynx from St Joseph’s back in January 2019 – how has his time at the club been? “Looking back at my first full year in Lynx I would say it has been a very positive one. I signed in January 2019, and being midseason was a difficult move, but one that certainly paid off for me. I got regular football and managed to get my place back in the national team. We got off to a great start as soon as I signed, and we managed to finish the league strongly last season and carry that momentum into the league this year.
I feel valued at this club and the confidence the manager and my team-mates have in me has allowed me to perform well and consistently. The club as a whole has progressed significantly in the past year and a half and I hope that we can keep as many players of this group as possible, with a few more additions I believe that we can close the gap on the teams above us.”
Lynx currently find themselves 4th in the Gibraltar National League – a very good achievement when you consider the relative size and budget of the club compared to those around it – does the defender feel his side have ‘overachieved’ this season? “At the start of the season nobody expected us to go on the run that we did in the first round. We only lost to the big 2 and managed to take points off St josephs. We know where we stand as a team and how financially we can’t compete with the teams above us. Our budget for the year is probably not even half of that of the teams above and even some of the teams below us.
In terms of our budget you could say we have overachieved, but we are considered the ‘best of the rest’ in the league standings and with a few more additions we can hopefully push to challenge the top 3 again next season.”
For all players, keeping their fitness during lockdown is a massive challenge – how has the 27-year-old adapted to this situation? “Keeping fit during this difficult time has been challenging in terms of types of training. I have turned the spare room in my house into a mini gym and have been making do as much as I can. The sooner this is all over and we are back out on the pitch the better. Staying motivated is key during this time but both my club and national team manager have been keeping in contact with me to ensure I am staying as fit as possible.”
Finally, we asked the centre back what his goals were for 2020: “Looking forward to the rest of 2020 – in terms of football I am hoping for everything to resume so that we can finish off the season on a high. Hopefully UEFA can sort out the busy schedules that lie ahead for all nations but also ensure that international fixtures can be played, getting back on the pitch for Lynx and Gibraltar are the main aims for the rest of this year.”
Brunos Magpies edged out Lynx in a fiery encounter while FG correctly predicted Europa Point, Europa, Lincoln Red Imps and Mons Calpe all qualifying for the quarter-final.
FC Hound Dogs 0-10 Europa Point
Maybe not the scoreline which many expected but Europa Point cruised through to the next round. Lukas Lindholm & Dean Dillion both got hat-tricks, Joshua Moody with a brace and a goal each from Cian Collins and Omar El Yettefti sealed the win for Ian Hendon’s side.
Europa Point will hope that the bizarre straight red card shown to Omar El Yettefti is received with the minimal suspension.
Europa FC 12-0 Glacis United
The holders made light work of their opponents with an easy win to progress into the quarter-finals. Team selection by Europa raised a few questions on whether such a strong team was needed, but the big guns came out all guns blazing with Labra scoring four goals.
Lincoln Red Imps 15-0 College 1975
Just like Europa – team selection was at full strength and against the opposition which they thrashed 9-1 in mid-September. With their Intermediate team undefeated, this could have been a chance to show off some of their excellent talents.
Emmanuel Sunday was on red hot form with the Nigerian scoring seven goals.
Manchester 62 1-2 Mons Calpe
Mons Calpe came from behind to secure a spot in the quarter-final thanks to a brace from Argentine striker Diego Diaz. Man62 captain Scott Ballantine put his side ahead but after Diaz’s first goal was adjudged to have crossed the line, he made no mistake when firing a shot past Tomizawa in the second half.
A disappointing result for Man62 who gave it a good fight but with Kian Ronan playing striker for the injured Robert Montovio – it never felt as they would get back into the game after the equaliser.
Lynx FC 0-1 Brunos Magpies
The main game of the round didn’t disappoint as Magpies got revenge for their league defeat to Lynx in January and eliminated them from the Gibtelecom Rock Cup.
An excellent through ball from Brian Perez found the feet of Jaron Vinet and his second-half goal secured a 1-0 win.
After some pushing and shoving at the end of the first half, you knew frustrations would boil over eventually and with 10 minutes remaining, it certainly did. An altercation between Mohamed Badr & Dan Bent ensued with a flurry of yellow cards being shown by the referee. Once everything calmed down, Lynx head coach Albert Parody was sent off which was quickly followed by the Magpies captain Brian Perez.
Europa Point, Europa, Lincoln, Mons Calpe, Magpies will join Boca, Lions & St Joseph’s in the pot for the Gibtelecom Rock Cup quarter-final draw.
The 2020 Gibtelecom
Rock Cup gets underway tomorrow, with Hound Dogs v Europa Point the first of
five matches taking place over the next few days – read on for our predictions
of all five games.
Europa Point have been resurgent under the
managerial guidance of Ian Hendon and come into this one on the back of five
games unbeaten – they should in truth have too much for a Hound Dogs side who
get their first taste of non-Intermediate League football this year.
Prediction: Hound Dogs 1-5 Europa Point
Europa v Glacis:
It will be interesting to see how Europa
approach the cup this year – you’d imagine with the league in their hands they
would want to also secure the cup and take the domestic treble, having already
won the Pepe Reyes Cup. Their league meeting was a 6-2 victory which in truth
flattered Europa, who scored three times in the last 10 minutes vs a tiring
Glacis side, but we think, much like vs Lions earlier this year, Europa will
show they have learned their lessons of taking teams too lightly.
Prediction: Europa 4-0 Glacis
Lincoln Red Imps v College 1975:
Realistically Lincoln’s final chance of
silverware this season, Lincoln may take out their anger of losing back-to-back
games on a College side who have yet to pick up a result this season. The
league meeting between the two ended 9-1, and we could see a similar scoreline
in what may be a lopsided Saturday of football.
Prediction: Lincoln 8-0 College 1975
Manchester 62 v Mons Calpe:
One of the two games which on paper are
harder to call, as two Challenge Group teams face off for the second time in a
month. In the last meeting, Manchester had more of the ball but were wasteful
and lost 3-0 – this time out we see it being a bit tighter with Manchester
surely learning some lessons – however we think Mons will have just too much
for them.
Prediction: Manchester 62 1-2 Mons Calpe
Lynx v Bruno’s Magpies:
The tie of the round on paper, Lynx take on
Magpies having beaten them 3-1 just a couple of weeks ago. Lynx punished
Magpies errors in that game, but this one should be a lot tighter with both
teams eyeing the cup as their only realistic chance of Europa League
qualification this season – this is a game which could easily go to penalties,
where we’ve plumped for Lynx to come out on top, just.
Prediction: Lynx 2-2 Bruno’s Magpies (Lynx
win on penalties)
St Joseph’s, Lions and Boca all got a bye
to the Quarter Finals, but who will join them?
Lynx striker Dylan Hernandez is awarded FG Player of the Week for his hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Brunos Magpies.
Dylan Hernandez – Lynx FC (1st)
Lynx’s new winger proved to be the difference-maker as his side beat Magpies 3-1 to establish an 11 point gap between the sides 4th and 5th in the table. His first full 90 minutes at the club saw him grab a hat-trick and he generally proved to be a handful.
The loss of Lynx’s 3 Croatians sparked some concerns that they may fall away, but if the likes of Hernandez and Alisson settle in as well as they are at the point, then 4th should be wrapped up for Albert Parody’s side – maybe an outside chance of taking 3rd?
Juan Pedro ‘Juampe’ Rico Dominguez – Europa FC (2nd)
In the big battle between Lincoln and Europa, both sides were looking for someone to make the difference, and Juampe stepped up to do just that as Europa went on to win 2-0. He took his first with good composure, especially after seeing a similar chance saved by Lolo Soler in the first half, while, after receiving an excellent thrown pass from keeper Dayle Coleing, his driving run and pass eventually led to the own goal which wrapped up the match.
Juampe has been one of the standout players for Europa this season on the wing, having now scored 13 goals in his last 9 for the club – just one of the reasons Rafa Escobar’s side find themselves five points clear at the top.
Salvador ‘Boro’ Alegre Delgado & ‘Juanfri’ Peña Garcia – St Joseph’s (3rd)
For the first time and probably not the only time, Boro & Juanfri come in at third place. The Spanish duo linked up perfectly for the first 3 St Joseph’s goals with Boro then getting his second and Saints’ fourth in the second half.
After Lincoln’s loss last weekend, Saints have an excellent opportunity to open up a five-point gap over Imps when they face off against each other this Saturday – Procopio will need his strikers to be firing on all cylinders.
Andre Dos Santos – Mons Calpe (4th)
After a slow first half, Mons were too strong for Boca in the second half. Andre Dos Santos and Ayoub El Hmidi pulled the strings in midfield and both played a big part in their second goal, scored by Lee Muscat.
On paper, Mons have the strongest squad in the Challenge Group and players such as Andre should use what’s left of this season as a platform to break into a top 6 team.
Kian Ronan – Manchester 62 (5th)
Kian has been one of Man62’s standout performers since joining this season. After missing his sides opening two games of the Challenge Group with the U21 international reportedly on trials with teams in UK, Ronan walked back into the squad and score a brace in Man62’s 5-0 win over College.
After impressing on recent international duty with the U19’s and U21’s, Kian will be hoping that his performances till the end of the season can get him a big deal whether in Gibraltar or abroad.
With the first round of fixtures complete and the league split into two groups – here’s our team by team review of how each has performed so far this season.
Europa FC (Position: 1st – Championship Group)
Full of confidence from their Pepe Reyes Cup victory, Europa started their league campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over rivals Lincoln – who they had beaten for the Pepe Reyes Cup, just five days prior.
Apart from their fortunate draw against St Joseph’s, and a couple of minor wobbles against Glacis & Lions, the Greens have rarely looked troubled this season and would arguably be favorites to win the league this season.
St Joseph’s (Position: 2nd – Championship Group)
Seen by many as the “team to beat” this season – Saints have really pushed on from their success in the Europa League and become very strong title contenders.
Juanfri & Boro have picked up from where they left off last season with 27 goals so far between them and will be hoping to carry it on into the Championship Group.
Lincoln Red Imps (Position: 3rd – Championship Group)
An injury-plagued first few months has left the current league champions in third, four points off leaders Europa and two behind St Joseph’s – both teams which the Imps have recorded losses against this season.
With a replacement of manager on the horizon and the January transfer window opening in a few weeks – the Imps will be looking to spend big and try to turn their current deficit around.
Lynx FC (Position 4th – Championship Group)
Unbeaten in their opening five games, Lynx has turned a lot of heads this season by what may be seen as overperforming this season (considering when you look at how much clubs around them are spending).
The Croatian trio of Bukvic, Kokorovic, and Marcius gave Albert Parody the foundation to build a team that he has cleverly done. With his star man Marcius gone, Albert would need to find an ideal replacement quickly, while also find a full-back, which we have singled out as a weak point in his team.
FCB Magpies (Position: 5th – Championship Group)
There was a lot of promise surrounding Magpies at the beginning of the season. Last season’s Second Division champions had already been planning for the National League from early this year and looked to be putting a strong squad together.
Any promise was quickly dashed when Magpies were hammered 6-0 by Europa which then followed two straight defeats and the sacking of head coach David Wilson in-between.
The replacement with the experienced Alfonso Cortijo was a great choice and will now see how he fares in January when he is able to clear the deadwood from his squad and bring in his own style of players.
After a slow start, Lions managed to pick the pace at the end of October and since then, recorded 4 wins from 5 games to secure a spot in the Championship Group on the final round.
As expected, it will be difficult for Lions to compete against the top three but will be using this opportunity as a time to give valuable experience to Ferri’s younger players – while this is also a great chance to entice sponsors and help the club gain some revenue in the process.
Mons Calpe (Position 7th – Challenge Group)
This season has definitely been one to forget for Mons Calpe, compared to others. After competing at the top. the team found themselves scrapping against Lions which they would end up missing out on.
With their financial problems rising up once again, questions have been raised about whether Mons will even put out a team for the second half of the season.
Manchester 62 (Position: 8th – Challenge Group)
It looks like a choice between Mons or Man62 for the winner of the inaugural Challenge Group trophy. After Jeff Wood and Juanfran Fernandez Perez, the club appointed David Wilson as their new head coach – one which we feel is the right choice to take this young squad forward.
Wilson would already have an eye on a number of players he’d like to bring in, but one player which he may have trouble trying to hold down is Gibraltar U21 international Kian Ronan who has been excellent so far – we will be surprised if his competitive nature will see him wanting to play in the bottom group.
FC Boca Juniors (Position: 9th – Challenge Group)
After pulling together a squad at the expense of Gibraltar United – things looked quite promising for Boca with the squad which they were putting out in pre-season.
But, the lack of team gelling was clear to see, and the wrong choice of manager to go with it – Boca found themselves dropping lower and lower down the table – when you throw in a lack of funding by the final month or two of the season, it’s a good thing they didn’t move up group.
Europa Point (Position: 10th – Challenge Group)
The heights which Europa Point once found themselves seem like an eternity away. Now, they find themselves struggling at the bottom of leagues while scratching at results.
Credit to them though, they have found a number of good players, such as goalkeeper Conor O’Keefe, who has been their standout performer while also giving some valuable game time to experienced striker Jeremy Lopez, and 17-year old Omar El Yettefti; we sure clubs will be keeping an eye out on the teenager in the next few years.
Glacis United (Position 11th – Challenge Group)
From the glory days of Glacis in the past, the club has been hit with a prime example of how money has changed football. From winning trophies, Glacis now find themselves fighting in the bottom half for most seasons with very little hope of ever returning to what they used to be.
The club has been a stepping stone for players such as Michael Ruiz to get regular action in the top flight, while using the experience of Jonny Di Toro and Michele Di Piedi to pass on their knowledge to their young squad.
College 1975 (Position 12th – Challenge Group)
Unfortunately, College has turned out to be the league’s whipping boys with a goal difference of minus 62 and recording heavy defeats on six occasions.
It is quite bizarre when you see 18-year old Zayne Da Costa rarely featuring in the National League, yet he is top goalscorer of the Intermediate League with 10 goals – maybe we will something different from College in 2020.
With nearly two-thirds of the first round
of fixtures already taking place, and only 24 matches left before the National
League splits in two at Christmas, we look at where each of the 12 teams are,
and their chances of reaching the top 6 by Christmas and the end of the first
round.
1st Place – Lincoln Red Imps –
18 points – 4 games left
100% they will be in the Championship
Group. Lincoln’s opening-day loss to Europa has been forgotten about by the
side, who have won their next six in a row. The only major challenge left
before Christmas will be against St Joseph’s – three points would be important
as well as set a market to the rest of the league.
2nd Place – St Joseph’s FC – 17
points – 4 games left
Like Lincoln, Saints will be in the top
six. The late draw vs Lynx wasn’t ideal, but St Joseph’s have been good this
season and are threatening to make the title-race a three-team affair. As long
as they keep the front two of Juanfri and Boro fit and firing, Saints are a
match for anyone – a result vs Lincoln before the New Year would be a massive
statement of intention.
3rd Place – Europa FC – 16 points
– 5 games left
Again, Europa are one of the teams
definitely going to the Championship Group. Bar a dramatic draw vs St Joseph’s,
Europa have rarely looked troubled all season and if they see through the game
vs Lynx with no hiccups, they are likely to be top come the split. January will
be interesting for Europa – do they stick with the squad that has served them
so well so far, or add one or two players in the window who may potentially be
the difference between a title and no title?
4th Place – Bruno’s Magpies –
15 points – 3 games left
Magpies should really be safe now. A little
wobble with three defeats in a row raised some doubts over the side, but the back-to-back
wins vs Europa Point and Boca means they should get over the line at Christmas.
They have hard fixtures vs Lincoln and St Joseph’s to come, but by the time
they face Manchester in their last game, we’d be surprised if their top six
spot wasn’t mathematically secured. The challenge will be whether they invest
even further on new players in January, especially with new manager Alfonso
Cortijo undoubtedly wanting some of his own players in.
5th Place – Lynx FC – 14 points
– 4 games left
Lynx have a fairly nice run-in in which to
accumulate points before the Championship Group, which they seem certain to get
into. If they can ensure 7 to 9 points against Manchester, College and Glacis,
then Albert Parody’s side will be in a healthy position post-Christmas – the draw
vs St Joseph’s showed they can make life difficult for the top three as well
and teams won’t necessarily want to play them.
6th Place – Mons Calpe SC –
11 points – 3 games left
Having points on the board is traditionally
better than games in hand, as the cliché goes, but it looks like going to the
wire for Mons Calpe. Two of their last three games are against St Joseph’s and Europa,
making the match vs Manchester 62 a must-win. Even then, 14 points isn’t
guaranteed to be enough. They were stubborn vs Lincoln though, and there is
every chance of nicking a result against one of the current top 3, but if they
don’t, it will be a nervy end to the year for Leo Vela’s side.
7th Place – Manchester 62 – 7
points – 5 games left
Looking purely at the table, you’d say
Manchester have the best chance of jumping into the top six from the bottom six
sides. However, only one of their last five games is versus a team below them,
which make new manager David Wilson’s task that bit tougher. The big two games
will be against Mons Calpe and Europa Point – especially the game against Mons –
if they can beat the team above them on the 30th November, and
follow it with a win vs Europa Point, then they may have a chance of top six,
depending on other results.
8th Place – FC Boca Gibraltar
– 6 points – 4 games left
Boca aren’t in a bad position table wise,
but the fixtures are not too kind to them, given they face Europa and Lincoln
in their next two matches. After that though, they’ll need to beat Glacis in order
to set up a tantalising final round game vs Lions. Talk of off-the-field issues
at the club will need to be shaken off as soon as possible if the club wants to
take that sixth spot and work from there in 2020.
9th Place – Lions Gibraltar –
6 points – 4 games left
Whisper it quietly, but Lions could have a chance
of sneaking into the top six while no one is watching them. The win against
Manchester was vital, not just because it was their first of the season, but
because it kept their Championship Group hopes alive. Three of their remaining
four games are against fellow bottom six sides, including matches vs Glacis and
College, while their final game against Boca could be a winner-takes-all
fixture depending on how Mons finish. Albert Ferri has made his team more
resolute defensively; if they can improve on their poor scoring form so far,
then we may see last season’s 9th place team end in 6th.
10th Place – Europa Point FC –
5 points – 3 games left
Despite only being a point behind Lions and
Boca, and only two off Manchester, the lack of games left for Europa Point
means that a top six finish in truth seems unlikely. To achieve this, the side
would have to beat Manchester and College, while most likely also getting a
surprise result against St Joseph’s too. Even then, they would still be relying
on other team’s results going in their favour – it isn’t looking promising for
Allen Bula’s side.
11th Place – Glacis United FC
– 3 points – 5 games left
Glacis have slowly built themselves back up
after a heavily disrupted start to the season, and while qualifying for the Championship
Group does seem beyond them, they could still have an influence on who does
make the top 6. Games against Boca and especially Lions will be tight affairs
and if Glacis can take points off those teams, the likes of Manchester and Mons
Calpe would be the most likely beneficiaries.
12th Place – College 1975 FC –
0 points – 4 games left
Although mathematically still possible, it
is safe to say College are not qualifying for the top 6. Without so much as a
point yet this season, they have been up against it from the first gameweek,
and realistically these last four games should be used to try and improve where
possible ahead of going into the Challenge Group, where hopefully they won’t be
on the end of results such as the 12-0 and 9-1 they have suffered in recent
weeks.
