St Joseph Start New Season in Style with 6–0 Win Over Europa Point

St Joseph, runners-up in last year’s Gibraltar National League, returned to the field for the 2025/26 season with a point to prove. After strengthening their squad during the summer, they set their sights firmly on challenging Lincoln Red Imps for the title. Their opening fixture pitted them against Europa Point, a side that had undergone restructuring in the off-season.
The Blues wasted no time in showing their intent. Within thirty seconds, they had already forced a corner, followed by an overhead kick from the second ball in that went just wide. St Joseph’s confidence was clear, their new signings slotting quickly into a side that looked sharp and composed.
Europa Point, wearing their light green strip, faced an uphill battle from the start. With only three substitutes on the bench—two of them homegrown players, including a goalkeeper—they were immediately at a disadvantage under the league’s homegrown player rule, which requires at least three on the pitch at all times. In stark contrast, St Joseph had a full bench of nine, offering them both depth and flexibility.
Despite dominating possession, St Joseph struggled to carve out clear chances in the opening fifteen minutes. Europa Point sat deep with a packed defensive line, determined to frustrate their opponents. On 18 minutes, a nervy moment saw a back pass drifting towards the goalmouth, forcing the Europa Point keeper into a hurried clearance. His collision with a St Joseph attacker brought half-hearted appeals for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.
The Blues kept pressing. On 22 minutes, a deflected shot struck the woodwork, and just moments later a corner swung dangerously across the box, grazing the far post. For all their control, though, St Joseph were finding it difficult to unlock a stubborn defence.
By the half-hour mark, Europa Point had barely ventured beyond the halfway line. The absence of former captain Liam Walker, now 37 and yet to sign with a new club after leaving St Joseph in the summer, was perhaps felt in midfield creativity. But eventually, the breakthrough came. On 37 minutes, a curling corner kick hung in the air before dipping at the far post and finding the net.
The breakthrough lifted St Joseph further. Just minutes later, they won a free kick on the edge of the box. The effort curled around the wall, narrowly missing, but worse for Europa Point was the dismissal of a defender for a second yellow card in the same passage of play. Reduced to ten men, their resistance began to crumble.
St Joseph doubled their lead shortly before half-time, heading into the break with a comfortable 2–0 advantage.
The second half began much like the first had ended—St Joseph on the front foot. An early third goal all but ended the contest, and with Europa Point now broken, the floodgates opened. The Blues added further strikes as the game wore on, eventually running out emphatic 6–0 winners.
It was the perfect start for St Joseph, sending a strong message to their title rivals: this year, they are ready to fight Lincoln Red Imps every step of the way.

(as published on Thursday 21st August in print edition)