St Joseph Dominate as Manchester 62 Suffer Heavy Defeat

St Joseph continued their impressive start to the season with a commanding 5–0 victory over Manchester 62, extending their unbeaten run and reinforcing their position as early title contenders. Goals from Rey Vasquez, and Rodriguez Moreno sealed the win, as the Blues exposed weaknesses in their opponents and maintained their flawless defensive record.
The match began with St Joseph on the front foot, and it took only nine minutes for them to open the scoring. Rodriguez rose highest to meet a cross and headed home, giving the Blues an early advantage. From that moment, St Joseph controlled the game, looking comfortable in possession and exploiting the vulnerabilities in Manchester 62’s defence—particularly down the right wing, which was repeatedly targeted.
Manchester 62 tried to respond by building from the back with short, square passes, but they struggled to find penetration or create meaningful chances. Their best moment in the opening stages came in the 21st minute when a shot was blocked before it could threaten the goal. St Joseph immediately responded by earning a free kick down the right, but the effort was struck into the defensive wall.
The most pivotal moment of the first half came in the 24th minute and will go down as one to forget for Manchester goalkeeper Ruiz Cantos. A simple pass back, well away from goal, should have been easily cleared. Instead, a lapse in concentration saw him take his eyes off the ball just long enough to completely miscue his clearance, allowing the ball to spin into his own net and double St Joseph’s lead.
Manchester 62, already under pressure, now faced a mountain to climb. St Joseph, showing no signs of slowing, continued to pile on the pressure. Their persistence paid off in the 42nd minute when they were awarded a penalty. Rey Vasquez stepped up and converted from the spot to make it 3–0 before halftime.
The second half began much like the first, with St Joseph in full control. Just five minutes after the restart, Vasquez added his second of the night, finishing clinically to put the result beyond doubt at 4–0. Manchester 62 looked pedestrian in comparison, unable to match the intensity or organisation of their opponents.
St Joseph did not need to push into top gear, content to dominate possession and manage the game efficiently. The Blues capped off the evening with a fifth goal in the 82nd minute, as Rodriguez Moreno claimed his brace to complete the scoring.
With this result, St Joseph have now scored 15 goals in their opening three matches without conceding, a record that underlines their strength at both ends of the pitch. The Blues are emerging as clear favourites to challenge Lincoln Red Imps for the title this season.
Last year, St Joseph’s title challenge faltered in agonising fashion, losing out after suffering just a single league defeat—1–0 to Lincoln Red Imps. That narrow loss proved decisive, but this time they appear determined to go one step further.
Lincoln Red Imps, meanwhile, are yet to start their league campaign due to their extended European commitments. Their participation in the UEFA Europa League play-offs delayed their domestic start, but they enter this season buoyed by their historic achievement of reaching the Europa League play-offs and, for the second time, securing a place in the group stages of the UEFA Conference League.
As St Joseph continue to dominate early fixtures, attention will turn to their inevitable clash with the reigning champions, which could once again prove pivotal in determining the outcome of the title race. For Manchester 62, however, this heavy defeat highlights the gap they must bridge if they are to compete with the league’s elite.