Roy Chipolina relives historic Gibraltar goal ahead of Scotland visit
ByPA Sport
Published 10/10/2015 at 17:39 GMT
Skipper Roy Chipolina revealed Gibraltar keep returning to their historic goal at Hampden Park as he looked forward to the return Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland in Faro.
Lee Casciaro scored Gibraltar's first competitive goal against Scotland
Image credit: PA Sport
Skipper Roy Chipolina revealed Gibraltar keep returning to their historic goal at Hampden Park as he looked forward to the return Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland in Faro.
Not even a 6-1 defeat on March 29 could dampen the joy of UEFA's newest members after Lee Casciaro levelled Shaun Maloney's penalty to record the visitors' first competitive goal.
The home side ran out easy winners that day but the 2-2 draw with Poland at Hampden Park on Thursday night meant Gordon Strachan's side will not be in the finals in France next summer.
Gibraltar have lost all nine Group D qualifiers at the cost of 50 goals, but 32-year-old defender Chipolina remembers well their shock counter in Glasgow, with their second goal of the campaign coming in the 8-1 defeat in Poland.
Ahead of the pool finale at the Estadio Algarve on Thursday night, where training was cancelled for both teams as a precaution due to wet weather, he said: "To score at Hampden was unbelievable.
"It was the most amazing experience we have all had. I don't know how many times we have seen the goal since.
"Hopefully we can build on that and I am sure one day we will see better results."
Coach Jeff Wood does not believe Scotland's cruel exit at the hands of a last-gasp Robert Lewandowski leveller will have left Strachan's side dispirited.
"No, Gordon and the players are too professional for that," said the former Brighton boss.
"They have players who play in the Premier League and they obviously want to do the best they can every single game.
"Seeing the game, I think they were unfortunate the other night. I would have liked Scotland and Republic of Ireland to go through because I know people in both set-ups.
"Obviously when we started it was a big culture shock. To be playing Germany, Poland, Scotland, Ireland and Georgia wasn't going to be an easy start.
"We have made progress, not in actually getting a point or winning a game but in the way we have gone about trying to get teams to change their system to try and stop us playing."
On the state of the playing surface, Englishman Wood said: "Having been on the pitch it is fine. It (cancelling training) was a precaution so that it didn't cut up.
"If we were going to train and then Scotland, would it be repaired by tomorrow? That is the thing in question."
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