U16 Development Tournament: Gibraltar finish top after 1-1 first half

It is Gibraltar who come out on top in the Malta 2022 Development Tournament, reserved for the U16 national teams of Malta, San Marino, Gibraltar and Liechtenstein. With last‑minute withdrawals for Mularoni, Biagioli, Zafferani and Barbano, Cancelli lines up his side in a 3-4-3 for the final assignment of the week, played in the early afternoon yesterday. On 7 minutes Giacomo Benvenuti has a go, meeting a Riccardi cross with a header that flashes right across the box without finding a decisive touch. Gibraltar reply immediately and in similar fashion, with Carrington’s header from a Diaz corner; he times his run well but sends the ball over the bar. The Titans defend in an orderly fashion and threaten down the Giacomo Benvenuti–Domeniconi channel, which produces an inviting cross for Giacopetti. His header looks goalbound, but Peacock throws himself in the way and, with a spectacular diving header, diverts the ball behind for a corner. Heads in hands for San Marino, forced to endure the most famous of football’s unwritten rules: “missed chance, goal conceded”. On 28 minutes Gibraltar win the ball off a stretched San Marino side and stitch together a move that ends with Perera shooting from distance: he strikes it with the outside of his boot and the ball nestles to Bernardi’s left, breaking the deadlock. San Marino’s response comes from a Riccardi free-kick; he looks for Giacomo Benvenuti’s leap, but the header is off target shortly after the half‑hour. The equaliser does arrive before the break: it is the 41st minute when Domeniconi picks out a long diagonal to reward Riccardi’s run; despite being tightly marked he manages to feed Yazici, whose final pass sets up the 1-1 goal, finished by Giacobbi. At the start of the second half Gibraltar waste a promising free-kick on the edge of the area, taken by Mauro. Shortly afterwards Bartolo produces a wonderful overhead kick that draws a fine save from Bernardi: two pieces of quality, ultimately rendered meaningless by the offside position of the Gibraltar forward. The booking for Giacomo Benvenuti is the prelude to the visitors’ second goal, which stems directly from a foul not given in favour of the San Marino centre-back on 58 minutes; Diaz makes the most of the situation, laying on a simple cross for Bartolo, who powers home a header for 2-1. On the hour the same striker tests Bernardi again – the keeper is alert. Gibraltar have more in the tank in the final stages and also find the third, on 73 minutes: fine run by Mason, who cuts inside and finishes across Bernardi, to the goalkeeper’s left. The flurry of substitutions in the last quarter of an hour does not change the pattern of the second half, in which Gennari and Casadei have to put their bodies on the line to deny a fourth goal in a chaotic goalmouth scramble on 80 minutes – eventually cleared by Bernardi. There is nothing more of note in the clash at Malta’s Tony Bezzina Stadium: Gibraltar win the Under-16 Development Tournament, collecting 8 points from three matches (two victories in normal time and one on penalties). San Marino finish on 1 point, earned in the penalty shoot-out defeat to Malta.  

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Under 16 UEFA Development Tournament, 2022 | San Marino-Gibraltar 1-3   SAN MARINO Bernardi, Domeniconi, T. Benvenuti, Cervellini, G. Benvenuti, Menicucci (from 64' Casadei), Riccardi (from 83' Laglia), Giacobbi (from 75' Dolcini), Gennari, Cavalli (from 46' Valentini), Giacopetti (from 40' Yazici) Substitutes: Barbano, Biagioli Head coach: Nicola Cancelli   GIBRALTAR Recagno, Peacock (from 74' Ostheider), Rush (from 64' Mason), Beard, Carrington, Perera (from 64' Ostheider), Duo (from 75' Smith), Bartolo (from 87' Linares), Chipolina (from 87' Yeats), Diaz (from 64' Hancock), Mauro Substitutes: Smith, Hamilton Head coach: Jonathan Sodi   Referee: Jareth Grima (MLT) Assistant referees: Joseph Scerri (MLT) and Anthony Paul Vella (MLT) Scorers: 28' Perera, 41' Giacobbi, 57' Bartolo, 73' Mason Booked: G. Benvenuti, Peacock, Yeats

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