Kike’s solitary goal in April will haunt St Joseph this summer

You could forgive St Joseph’s FC and its supporters this week for feeling the “blues.” After an impressive season in which they matched league champions Lincoln Red Imps stride for stride and looked poised to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, St Joseph’s will undoubtedly look back at that solitary goal conceded on April 5—scored by Kike—as the moment that decided this season’s title race.
Having drawn twice with Lincoln Red Imps earlier in the season, St Joseph’s entered that decisive third match needing only a draw to maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table. That narrow defeat will haunt them this summer as they watch their rivals head to the Champions League.
The Blues stepped onto the pitch this weekend already knowing the title was lost—without even kicking a ball. Lincoln Red Imps had secured a 2–0 victory over Manchester 62 the previous evening. Ironically, it was Kike—who hasn’t had a standout season—who scored both goals to seal the title.
One defeat over a 25-match season, with a goal difference of +50, was still not enough to claim the championship. Even if St Joseph’s had matched or bettered Lincoln Red Imps’ +61 goal difference, they would have fallen short due to the head-to-head results—the ultimate tiebreaker. Equal on points with the champions, St Joseph’s now shift focus to their UEFA Conference League campaign, knowing Champions League qualification was agonizingly close once again.
Their season closed with a six-goal finale in which they ran riot over sixth-placed Lions Gibraltar. Despite knowing their title hopes were over, St Joseph’s played with conviction, proving they were the league champions’ equals in every way but the head-to-head record.
Lions Gibraltar appeared distracted, perhaps already thinking about their return journeys home. St Joseph’s De Sousa Goncalves, Gibson, and Rodriguez Moreno each scored twice, and the Blues had ample chances to take the tally into double digits. Only veteran and former national keeper Jordan Perez stood between them and a more emphatic scoreline.
The season ended with another six-goal thriller, this time between Europa and Bruno Magpies. With nothing left to play for but pride, Bruno Magpies—who will feature in European competition thanks to their Rock Cup triumph despite finishing fifth—struggled against a Europa side that came close to earning a return to European football. Goals from Vinet, Flood, and a brace from Vittorio were enough to secure Europa the three points and confirm their third-place finish, even though they miss out on European qualification. For the first time, the third European spot was awarded to the winners of the Rock Cup final.

Images courtesy of Brandon Avellano.