Gibraltar ended their home double header undefeated as a solid defensive performance against Faroe Islands saw them earn a hard-fought 0-0 draw and a second consecutive clean sheet this week.
Julio Ribas named only two changes from the side that faced Grenada midweek, with Ethan Jolley and Jayce Olivero replacing Julian Valarino and Kian Ronan in the starting line-up.
Faroe Islands started the better of the two sides and would’ve taken the lead inside the opening five minutes through Vatnhamar were it not for a brave Louie Annesley block that sent the ball away from Bradley Banda’s goal.
The visitors continued pressing Gibraltar high in the opening exchanges of the match and again went close moments later, this time through Joensen who caught the ball sweetly on the half-volley from the edge of the area but could only see his strike shave the outside of the post.
Despite the initial Faroese storm, Gibraltar held fast and grew into the game, with Ribas’ men looking a particular threat on the counter-attack, with the pace of Lee Casciaro and Ethan Britto causing the Faroe Islands right flank trouble with their tireless running in behind.
With this being said, the visitors remained the more dangerous of the two sides and they again went close on the half hour mark. A scramble in the box saw Rolantsson direct a loose ball towards the bottom corner of the Gibraltar goal, however, at the last possible moment, Bernardo Lopes slid in to clear what would have been the opening goal.
Gibraltar would also go on to cause Faroes’ their own problems at the back also before the end of the half, with set-pieces looking the most likely avenue for a Gibraltar opener thanks to the pinpoint delivery of Liam Walker.
Despite this, both goalkeepers would go into the break relatively untested with the score tied at 0-0.
Coming off the back of the 0-0 result against Grenada, Gibraltar had continued to show their defensive resoluteness in the first half, with Graeme Torrilla in particular putting in a standout performance at the heart of Gibraltar’s midfield.
The second half saw more of the same from both sides, with Gibraltar’s solid defence proving a frustrating obstacle for the Faroe Islands attack to try and overcome.
Julio Ribas would introduce Reece Styche, Julian Valarino, Kian Ronan and Ethan Santos into the fray, with the former going closest for Gibraltar as he was played in behind by Lopes. The striker climbed highest to head the ball past his marker, before testing Nielsen in the Faroese net from a tight angle.
Styche was proving a handful for the the Faroe’s backline and moments later found himself yet again testing Nielsen. A long ball over the top was chased down by the striker who burst into the box before firing a low driven shot that required the intervention of the goalkeeper to keep the score 0-0.
Faroe Islands responded well to Gibraltar’s growing attacking presence and would respond by pinning back the hosts for the final 10 minutes of the game, as Gibraltar’s defence stood firm amidst a barrage of goal bound efforts, the closest of which came from the boot of Hansson who struck the base of Banda’s post from the edge of the area.
Much to the delight of the cheering crowd at the Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar would withstand the final Faroese onslaught to claim their second successive clean sheet.
