Europa maintained their unbeaten start to the league with a dominant 9-0 win over Manchester 62.
Mikey Yome and Alex Quillo were recalled to the starting lineup for Europa while Manchester 62 was without stalwart defender Matt Clenahan but were boosted by Tom Farmer’s return from suspension.
Alex Quillo gave Europa the lead from close range which shortly became 2-0 when Juanlu was fortunate to get onto a rebound. Dylan Borge got his seventh of the season and Europa’s third after 31 minutes.
Juanlu notched in his second of the game nine minutes later and Europa had a commanding 4-0 lead at half-time.
Europa brought on Adrian Gallardo at half-time and the Spanish striker scored a quick-fire brace to give his side a 6-0 lead. Adrian Gallardo got his third and Europa’s seventh after 71 minutes.
Escobar would bring on 18-year old Evan De Haro and 16-year old Julian Britto for their senior debuts with the former assisting Juampe to make it 8-0 and the latter’s cross met by the head of Adrian Gallardo for 9-0 to Europa.
HGP’s will take the spotlight tonight with 19 Gibraltarians taking part in the game, Manchester 62 started with seven while Europa started with six and finished with seven.
Lineups
Manchester 62 – El Abd; Ballester (Mifsud 45), Sardena, Pereira, S.De Los Santos (Zammitt 67), Montovio, Ballantine, Negrette, Edzes, Farmer, Garcia
Two goals from Rubo and a debut goal for Shay Jones helped Brunos Magpies to a 3-2 win over Manchester 62.
Johnny Parrado made two changes from the side which drew to Lynx with Jaydan Catania and Matheus Assumpcao replacing Dan Bent and Jean Carlos Garcia.
The former Brunos manager David Wilson would only make one change after Manchester 62’s win over College 1975 with Theo Pizarro replacing the suspended Tom Farmer.
Theo Pizarro’s debut lasted just ten minutes with the Manchester 62 striker coming off with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Robert Montovio.
After a number of good saves from the Manchester 62 goalkeeper, Magpies got their noses in front on the 17th minute after a well-worked team goal was finished by the captain Rubo.
Manchester 62 equalised just two minutes later, Magpies failed to clear their lines from a free-kick and Robert Montovio was on hand to slot the ball in from inside the box.
Rubo nearly put Magpies ahead at the end of the first half but Spanish striker was at full stretch and unable to direct the ball towards goal – the game stayed all square at half-time.
Just after the hour mark, Rubo got on the end of Tyson Ruiz’s cross to put Magpies 2-1 up – great work once again by Jaron Vinet who was heavily involved in both of Magpies’ goals.
77 minutes in and Manchester 62 got their equaliser, a lapse in concentration by the Magpies defence led to second-half substitute Dylan De Los Santos receiving the ball in the box and slotting it past Alan Martin.
Their celebrations were short-lived when Rubo laid the ball off for 18-year old Shay Jones to slot the ball past El Abd and seal Magpies the three points on his debut.
Lineups:
Bruno’s Magpies: Martin; Gallardo, Diaz, Cataruozzolo (Fernandez, 60), Assumpcao, Morgan (Jones, 72), Vinet, Catania, Soussi (Consigliero, 82), Ruiz, Rubo
Unused Subs: Galia, Lopez, Livingstone, Bent
Manchester 62: El Abd; Pizarro (Montovio, 11), P. Sardena, Pereira (D. De Los Santos, 63), S. De Los Santos, Negrette, Ballantine, Sanchez (Chichon, 68), Edzes, Clenahan, Garcia
Goals from Mariano Pereira, Matt Clenahan and Mark Chichon secured Manchester 62 an entertaining 3-2 victory over College 1975.
The Red Devils went behind to Luis Manuel Gallardo’s penalty but two goals before the interval turned the game on its head despite having Tom Farmer sent off.
Mariano Pereira equalised and then Matt Clenahan made it 2-1. 19-year old Zayne Da Costa put his side back on level terms, but Mark Chichon’s looping strike just a minute later sealed the points for Manchester 62.
Manchester 62 started on the front foot with Michael Negrette, Robert Montovio and Scott Ballantine linking up well. Despite controlling most of the first half, College was awarded a penalty which Gallardo dispatched and Farmer saw red for a handball.
42 minutes played and Manchester took advantage of some dawdling on the ball by Jonathan Rodriguez Parragues. He had his pocket picked in his own half and the ball fell to Pereira who fired past Warwick.
Man62 would then go on to lead the game just a minute later, Matt Clenahan rose highest in the College box and nodded the ball in to make it 2-1.
Zayne Da Costa, who was a constant threat all game, equalised for College after Chichon missed a one-on-one just second before. The Manchester 62 striker would make up for his miss just a minute later after his looping effort beat Warwick and sealed a 3-2 win.
Lineups
Manchester 62 – El Abd; Sardena, Pereira (Garcia 71), De Los Santos (Holland 57), Montovio (Chichon 57), Ballantine, Sanchez, Negrette, Edzes, Farmer, Clenahan
Goals in either half from Salvatore Gallo and Miguel Londero ensured Glacis picked up their first win of the season, in a 2-0 victory over Manchester 62 last night.
Photo (C) David Roberts
The match, the first of the ‘re-arranged’ Matchday 4 fixtures spread out over the next two months, saw Manchester come in off the back of an 11-0 hammering against St Joseph’s – this seemed to be a chance to bounce back but in truth they made life too comfortable for Glacis.
From early in the game, individual errors, a collective lackadaisical effort and seemingly a failure to follow instructions from Manchester left manager David Wilson continuously frustrated at his team on the touchline – two early mistakes had gone unpunished, but it would prove to be third time unlucky, as Salvatore Gallo pounced on an unaware defender to rob him of the ball, and put Glacis in the lead.
The weather in the first half would undoubtedly play its part, as the rain grew more torrential – however the excellent drainage system still in place at the Victoria Stadium ensured the only risk of postponement would be if the lightning made its way from the bay into Gib – this didn’t happen as the weather calmed down in the second half.
In the second half, Manchester fashioned an early chance, but Robert Montovio’s effort was saved by Marcos Zappacosta, who in truth had little to do in the Glacis goal. Once again, Manchester seemed to be masters of their own downfall, but Glacis were failing to punish them, even despite the best efforts of Kivan Castle up front who was causing the Manchester defence problems at times.
Glacis did eventually wrap the game up though, as captain Miguel Londero headed in from inside the box to secure all three points – his side, albeit playing a game more than most others in the league, sit 9th, level on points with Boca and Magpies.
For Wilson, the result will have done nothing to help what is believed to be growing pressure from inside Manchester 62 on the former Gibraltar national team interim boss – their next match is against College 1975 but the damage may have been done last night to his job.
Lineups:
Manchester 62: El Abd; Pereira, Chichon (S. De Los Santos, 69), Montovio, Ballantine, Sanchez (P. Sardena, 79), Negrette, Edzes, Farmer, Clenahan, Garcia (Holland, 79)
A clear mismatch occurred at the Victoria Stadium this evening as a hopeless Manchester 62 side were unable to stop St Joseph’s hitting 11 goals past them in an 11-0 win.
On paper, the match looked one-sided, and despite Manchester only starting six locals, less than in other matches, they were incapable of stopping Saints from running riot all match. Despite Robert Montovio having an early chance, Juanfri put Saints ahead after seven minutes. Boro got Saints second, and Juanfri got his second and Saints third before 15 minutes had gone, and within 30 minutes Saints striker Juanfri had got his hat-trick, highlighting the easiness of this game.
There would be a further three goals before the break – Juanma, Juanfri again, and Loren all got on the scoresheet to leave Raul Procopio’s side 7-0 up at the break.
The second half proved to be irrelevant to changing the flow of the game, but Saints got four further goals, courtesy of Nano, Zeki Rojas, Loren’s second and Boro’s second. Charles Sardena was sent off for Manchester 62 but it made no difference to the result.
For Manchester, the chastening defeat should serve as a wake-up call for them if they want to even try and challenge for top six this season – this is the second time in 2020 they have conceded 11 in a game, after an 11-1 loss to Mons Calpe before lockdown. For manager Davie Wilson, he needs to get his team in order and get them to put in a performance worthy of a club who has been a part of local football for over 50 years.
Manchester 62: Warwick; P.Sardena, Pereira, Montovio (C.Sardena 58), Mifsud (Mancilla 46), Sanchez (Negrette 46), Edzes, Holland (Ballantine 58), Farmer, Clenahan, Garcia (De Los Santos 58)
Scott Ballantine, Mariano Pereira and Charles Sardena were all on target in Manchester 62’s 3-1 win over Europa Point this evening.
Manchester 62 got off to the perfect start when Scott Ballantine’s tidy finish from inside the box gave them the opener. Robert Montovio set up Mariano Pereira to double his side’s lead.
An unfortunate own goal by the Manchester 62 goalkeeper gave Europa Point some hope heading into the break with Red Devils leading 2-1.
With Europa Point chasing an equaliser, Manchester 62 were able to catch them on the counter-attack which Charles Sardena finished off to give them a 3-1 lead and all three points.
Lineups:
Manchester 62: Al Abd; P.Sardena, Pereira (Chichon 65), Montovio (C.Sardena 46), Ballantine (De Los Santos 65), Sanchez, Negrette, Fortuna, Edzes, Farmer (Ballester 60). Clenahan (Garcia 65)
Unused subs: Warwick, Holland
Europa Point: Tudela; Hammond, Arjona (Caravante 67), Moulds, Pomares, Serralvo (Stewart 74), El Yettefti, Ramirez, Chrayeh, Dixon (Perez 68), Bado
The game took a while to get going, but it was Lynx who would take the lead three minutes before half time, with Hernandez slotting the ball through the keepers legs to give Lynx a half-time lead.
After that, a mad eight minute spell in the second half saw Lynx score a further four goals as Manchester 62 collapsed – a handball gave David Bautista the chance to score from the spot, which he did, before Hernandez got his second two minutes later. It then took three minutes for Dylan Hernandez to get Lynx’s fourth, before Hernandez got his hat-trick on the 61st minute.
Lynx controlled and outplayed their opponents, and even used the chance to give 22-year-old keeper Ayden Vinales, and 16-year-old Francis Huart Guerra 25 minutes experience off the bench – for Manchester manager David Wilson, he’ll be concerned about the spell where they conceded four in eight minutes, as well as the fact they were generally outplayed – they will need a reaction on Sunday against Europa Point.
Lineups:
Lynx – Banda (Vinales, 67); Damia (Gonzalez, 45), D. Hernandez (Huart Guerra, 67), A. Hernandez (Martos, 62), Torres, Espinosa, Ruiz (Rodriguez, 45), Chuky, Victory, Gracia, Bautista
Unused Subs: None
Manchester 62 – El Abd; Ballester, Fortuna, S. De Los Santos (P. Sardena, 63), Montovio (Mifsud, 90), Ballatine (Garcia, 63), Sanchez (Holland, 63), Thomas, Negrette, Edzes, Clenahan
Two goals from Alberto Caravaca ensured Lions beat Manchester 62 4-0 this afternoon in the first of a double-header on Saturday.
Photo (C) Daniel Ferro
In a game which saw 12 Gibraltarians start, it was Manchester who made the brighter start – only a save from Borja Valades and a block from Shea Breakspear stopped them scoring after two minutes of the game. After that, Lions went and took control of the match.
A header from Breakspear went over – later on Lions took the lead – Caravaca ended up finishing off a free kick from Pecino to ensure Lions went into the break one goal up.
A sub in the second half break proved vital – 17-year-old Kadrian Verjaque came on for Kaylan Rumbo, and after 63 minutes, the teenager doubled Lions lead to give them some breathing space.
From there, David Wilson and his Manchester side could do nothing to stop his former club – Verjaque set up Caravaca for his second and Lions third after 70 minutes, and three minutes from time, Jared Buhagiar’s cross found Abraham Pomares who got Lions fourth – a comfortable win for Albert Ferri’s side.
After the game, Manchester 62 manager David Wilson had this to say:
Lineups:
Manchester 62: Borge; P. Sardena (Ballester, 70), Pereira (Thomas, 56), De Los Santos, Ballantine (C), Fortuna (Sanchez, 80), Montovio (C. Sardena, 56), Edzez, Farmer, Clenahan, Garcia (Mifsud, 80)
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.
Part Two of our three-part series with ex-Lincoln Red Imps and Gibraltar national team captain Daniel Duarte sees us talk about life at Imps, his move to Manchester 62 and more.
1) How did you find the transition from youth to senior football?
Throughout my time at Lincoln, I always found it to be a Club that was good at bringing young talent into their first team. They had an excellent way of doing this: the U16 team often played in the 4th Division with some older players, like Mick McElwee, whilst still playing in the U16 League.
As a junior, I also played alongside senior players; during this time, the Lincoln U16 team managed to win the 4th, 3rd and 2nd Division. I think this was largely down to us getting a lot of experience in playing at a faster pace and making stronger challenges with the seniors. It was, in my opinion, the perfect way of developing a player and essential for the transition from youth to senior football.
2) How was the support towards you whilst breaking into the Lincoln team?
Honestly, I have had unbelievable support at every level whilst playing for Lincoln. For example, whilst playing for the U16 team, I also played for U18s (who were in the 4th Division at the time), where I had the privilege of playing alongside player-manager Mick McElwee. Mick is one of the best players in the Club’s history and in Gibraltar football, and he supports me and every youngster coming up with a lot of patience.
I also played with the Lincoln Wolves reserve team, who were in the 2nd Division. The team was made up of all the Lincoln legends that had retired from the first team – players like Mario Vela, Francis Caruana, Joseph Payas, Adrian Pozo, to name a few. They were all very experienced players, and I learned tremendously from playing alongside them. At the same time, my cousin, Ernest Galliano, as well as Dennis Lopez and Daniel Bonfilio were playing in the first team, and these three helped keep my feet on the ground and my head on my shoulders. I can only thank those players that helped me along the way. A special thanks to my cousin Ernest ‘el Chori’ Galliano for everything he’s done for me all these years and without him, nothing would have been possible.
3) Lincoln dominated football in Gib for many years – how did it feel being part of that squad?
It wasn’t always a dominant side; it took the Club many years to build up an excellent team. In fact, the team played together for at least 5 years before we won our first league, which was back in 2000/2001. This was a special squad; we had players with amazing willpower and, as we like to say in Gib, with AMOR PROPIO, they were players who truly committed to their Club and the sport.
Dominating football for over 14 years is not easy. But being part of the squad was like being part of a family, and playing with family and friends makes everything much easier. It was an amazing feeling knowing that your hard work and your commitment was paying off. The closeness and support felt on the pitch were mirrored off the pitch too, whatever problems we had, personal or professional, we knew that we could always rely on our teammates.
It was a privilege to be part of the squad and something very special to me – not only for dominating football and winning titles but also because I knew that I had the full support of my teammates and managers.
4) What is your favourite memory in a Lincoln shirt?
I couldn’t honestly say what my favourite memory is, but I have a few that are particularly special to me. One of them has to be my debut for the first team, another is my first league title. Another noteworthy moment was playing for Lincoln in the Champions League, where we were the first Gibraltar team to play in the competition.
One other undeniably special memory of being at Lincoln was when we finally achieved our 10th consecutive league title – breaking Glacis United’s record of 9 consecutive wins. As well as being one of my favourite memories, it is also one of Gibraltar’s best memories and I remember lifting the Rock Cup, which was presented to me by the UEFA president, Michel Platini. It was an unforgettable moment!
5) How would the Lincoln sides you’ve been in compare to now?
It’s difficult to compare, especially when you are not involved with the Club. But, as I said before in our conversation for Part One of this series, I feel that back in my day we had much more commitment and put in the hard work. I think that this is what teams nowadays are generally lacking. Don’t get me wrong, some players are very committed, but it’s difficult to get a team of 18 players committed to a Club without any money involved.
Over the past couple of years, there have been several very talented players at the Club, most notably Roy Chipolina and Lee Casciaro. But this is nothing that we didn’t have back in my day. In my opinion, we not only had our Roy and Lee equivalents, but there were also eight or more players with the same quality as Lee and Roy and, due to the strength of the squad, but it was also extremely difficult to select the first 11 players.
6) What was the thinking behind your move to Man62?
Mick McElwee and Stephen Head had left the team and Lincoln was planning to become a more professional set up: this included an increase in the number of weekly training sessions and having to travel to Spain for further training. For 20 years, I was always committed to the Club, but I couldn’t commit to the new level of professionalism the Club wanted from me.
My dream was to play for the national side in a European qualifier, which meant that if I couldn’t commit to Lincoln’s training sessions, I wouldn’t have the same opportunity of playing first-team football and, with no first-team football, it would have been impossible for me to play for the national side. It was a catch-22 situation and we weren’t able to agree on the terms and conditions for my new contract. So I decided to move on to a new challenge and joined Manchester 62 F.C.
I decided to join Man62 for many reasons; first of all, I could commit to the Club’s project and it was easy to reach an agreement over my contract. Man62 has always been a Club that focuses on developing young players – very similar to Lincoln in away. Its squad has a lot of youngsters coming through into the first team, and I’ve always wanted to pass on my experience to local youngsters, just as I had received guidance and support from my seniors when I was a junior.
Signing for Man62 also meant that I could play one more season at my highest level: it was up to me to perform and impress in order to achieve my dream of playing at a European qualifier. Whilst at Man62, I managed to make this dream come true and I will be always grateful to Clive Lopez, John Charles Camilleri and David Ochello for giving me the confidence and opportunity to represent Man62 in my last football season.
7) How would you sum up your time at Lincoln?
It is impossible, to sum up, 20 years of my life in one interview. To cut a long story short, I’ve had a very successful career on the pitch, winning many titles and even breaking a record! There have been good and bad days; it’s been an emotional journey, a journey where I’ve met some great people, as well as others that have let me down. But, I have a positive way of thinking and like to focus on the positive parts of my time at Lincoln. This saying, I think, really sums up my experience: There are friends, there are family, and then there are friends that become family.
8) Who was the toughest opponent you ever came across in the league?
Probably Glacis United, they always had excellent players like Kevin De Los Santos, Keith Laguea, Al Greene, Dylan Moreno, Aaron Payas, Peter Moreno and many others. It is a club with an extra level motivation, especially in defending its record of 9 consecutive league wins. Glacis United was a very tough team; a very difficult team to beat and we always had to perform at a high level to win against them.
9) Was there a teammate who you would always want to play with, but never against?
The first name that comes to mind is the legend, Lee Casciaro. I don’t need to explain what Lee does on a football pitch, his reputation speaks for itself and we have seen through the years the talent that he has. But Lincoln, as I’ve said before, has always had impressive players – players that humiliate you at training with ease, such as Roy Chipolina, Brian Perez, Robert Guiling, Pitu Anes, Dwayne Robba, Christian Sanchez, Graham Alvez and many others. In my opinion, the hardest games played were always when we trained together – on a good day anyone could be your worst nightmare.
10) How would the old Lincoln fare in today’s league?
It’s difficult to compare; we had a very talented team with very little resources and broke every single record in Gibraltar football history, and we did this with only hard work and commitment. With that hard work and commitment as well as the resources that teams in Gibraltar have nowadays, I would like to think that my old team would definitely be challenging for the league title and playing for the national side.
