Thursday 16 October 2014 13:04, UK
Gibraltar manager Allen Bula believes the performance in Tuesday's 3-0 defeat to Georgia vindicates the bold changes he made before that game and during last Saturday's 7-0 thrashing by Ireland, writes Sky Sports News presenter David Garrido.
Keeper Jordan Perez and captain Roy Chipolina were both substituted in the European Qualifier in Dublin, and neither of them began the game in Faro as Bula instead opted to hand Jamie Robba and Yogen Santos their first competitive starts.
We conceded three goals but we had chances. The nerves and tension from the first two matches seemed to have gone.
Both of those latter two acquitted themselves well, similarly Jean-Carlos Garcia and Robert Guilling, while Kyle Casciaro returned after an ankle injury.
Nerves
"We conceded three goals but we had chances. The nerves and tension from the first two matches seemed to have gone," said Bula.
And indeed, going forward they did offer a potent threat. Lee Casciaro's relentless, energetic efforts up front constantly worried the opposition and he was perhaps unlucky to see his headed goal chalked off, while Liam Walker had a powerful shot tipped around the post in the first half.
Although Gibraltar were caught out of position for the second goal, they were overall more solid at the back, marshalled mainly by Preston defender Scott Wiseman, and not prone to too many lapses in concentration.
Another positive was that there was plenty of bulldog spirit shown when they didn’t have the ball, and increased composure when they did.
The substitutes who came on all had an impact, especially Adam Priestley and Jake Gosling down the flanks, supplying the striker. Priestley’s bursts of pace troubled the Georgia defence, while a Gosling drop of the shoulder fooled their right-back and ultimately led to a corner.
The Georgia game gives us some hope the we can put in good performances against the world champions.
Both could well force their way into Bula’s starting eleven ahead of their trip to Germany in November.
"This game shows that if we understand these players and if we get more support, things will get better," said Bula. "It gives us some hope the we can put in good performances against the world champions."
The other notable change in tone from the manager was his re-appraisal of their prospects in this qualifying group, stating that they were no longer aiming for the Euro 2016 play-offs. Bula claimed he had originally made those comments to try to instil self-belief in his players.
A Bavarian backlash from the Germans is a near-certainty in Nuremberg, after Joachim Low’s men lost 2-0 to Poland and conceded a stoppage-time equaliser against the Irish. Again the challenge for Gibraltar will be keeping the score down, and coping with another big European occasion.
Bula remains embattled but in defiant mood - in just under a month’s time, he will need another huge performance from his side in the most testing circumstances to relieve the pressure on his position.
