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Gibraltar Fed up after Černych confirms UNL relegation
Chris Wilson
It was yet more away day misery for Gibraltar, who lost 1-0 against Lithuania on the night, and 2-0 on aggregate, which means they have not only suffered a whopping 14 successive away defeats but have also been relegated to UEFA Nations League (UNL) League D.
A goal to the good after the first leg in Gibraltar, Lithuania had done most of the heavy lifting in their quest to stay in the third tier of the UNL. They certainly weren't home and hosed though, and unsurprisingly started on the front foot in their attempts to wrap up the tie. Another thing of little surprise was that it was Fedor Černych leading the Lithuania charge, as he twice came close – once rattling the crossbar before testing Bradley Banda from distance. Pressure was beginning to build on the Gibraltar goal, but Banda was keeping them in the game, again producing a fine stop to this time deny Armandas Kučys.
The last three games to see Lithuania score have seen Kučys find the back of the net, but making it four in a row was proving problematic thanks to Banda, who yet again bailed his side out when he clawed his effort away from close range. The Gibraltar goal was certainly living a charmed life, and their commendable resistance was broken within 10 minutes of the restart when Pijus Širvys’ measured ball found the unmarked Černych, who made no mistake in lifting the ball over the on-rushing Banda.
Considering Gibraltar hadn’t even scored a goal across their last 11 internationals, the prospect of them scoring the two they needed to keep this tie alive was always slim. A third goal from the hosts always seemed the likelier outcome, and they came tantalisingly close to claiming it when Justas Lasickas ghosted into the area and turned Černych’s cross into the side-netting. Ranked 60 places higher than Gibraltar by FIFA, it was no great surprise to see Lithuania dominate the way they did, but it will no doubt be of some concern to boss Edgaras Jankauskas that his side only turned their dominance into a 1-0 win.
That’s immaterial though, as the ultimate prize was retaining their League C status, where they’ll be competing against Romania, Kosovo, and Cyprus. It was that familiar sinking feeling for Gibraltar though, whose instant relegation back to League D was confirmed, with San Marino and Liechtenstein awaiting in their group.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Fedor Černych (Lithuania)
