St Joseph finish the season with a win
St Joseph 3-2 Lynx
Three minutes only had passed from kick off when St Joseph struck first. Borghi beating Banda to the ball as the keeper run out after his midfield had lost the ball. A toe tap putting it past Banda with the defender struggling to catch up as the ball crossed the line.
For Lynx the match was about keeping their pride with the final outcome now irrelevant. Lynx could only now finish fifth in the table and missing out on European club football.
St Joseph’s had prepared until yesterday for what they had hoped might be a final chance for the title. Europa’s win against Mons Calpe had erased this hope and the best they could now hope for was to finish third placed. equal on points to Lincoln Red Imps, if the latter faltered against Lions. St Joseph’s had once again secured a place in the Europa League and were now resetting to prepare for this summer’s campaign.
Under a hot Spring sun both sides came out playing an open game.
The early goal provided St Joseph with that early cushion which they used to set their pace when in possession.
With less than a quarter of a hour gone Ferrer Lopez added a second taking advantage of Lynx’s advanced lines.
Mateo Vera, St Joseph’s keeper on the day did not see the ball by his goalmouth until well past the first fifteen minutes had gone by with a weak effort from a corner going well wide off the target.
St Joseph added their third soon after. Again through Ferrer, that once again saw Banda beaten to the ball and from a tight angle slotting to the far post.
Lynx made an early change as they saw St Joseph running away with the result.
Power had a chance on the twenty fourth minute for Lynx when a floated ball into the penalty area, where he was still at following a wasted corner delivery, saw him in a one on one with the keeper. Mateo Vera doing enough to save and obtain a goal kick as the ball bounces Powers legs.
With St Joseph sitting back on their lead Lynx had more of the ball and tried to push forward to try and get one of their own.
With the sun beating down on the stadium the referee allowed for a short water break on the half hour.
St Joseph resumed with Piner blasting the ball over Banda’s goal.
Lynx continued to try to find a way through to goal as St Joseph seemed content to build up patiently and sit back with their 3-0 lead. Lynx did not make much headway when in possession.
Instead it was St Joseph’s who came closer before half time with a shot at goal getting diverted by a defender and forcing Banda to palm for a corner.
Both teams going into the halftime break with the score at 3-0 for St Joseph’s.
Both sides made changes at half time delaying the restart as six players went on. The second half was to start with a jolt for St Joseph.
After Lynx’s keeper was tested in the early moments the yellows came back with a goal. On the fiftieth minute Michael Ruiz finishing from a cross from Valarino.
Just a minute later Ruiz added a second from a tap in after Mateo Vera had saved from Gonzalez’s attempt.
The Blues found themselves trying to regroup as Lynx went looking for a third. Once again wasting a corner with a long delivery too far behind the defence to be effective.
By now St Joseph were playing in front of a watching audience which underlined their season. Lincoln Red Imps players already arriving for their final attempt to clinch the league title.
The match itself heading into an end to end affair.
Mouelhi came close on the sixth fourth minute as he latched onto a corner ball delivery and send it just wide of the post.
Lynx came close to equalising with a strike from Huart smashing on the post and crossbar as it bounced away.
St Joseph substitute keeper Victor, only just having come on, came out with a great save just past the seventieth minute blocking for a corner.
With St Joseph already having settled back into their own pace after the jolt in the first minutes of the second half the match had slowed down somewhat. St Joseph having given some of their bench an opportunity to play. Lynx with the better chances.
With five minutes left Avellano who has come in for Banda at half time saved Lynx’s defence from blushes going down well to save after a missed clearance allowed St Joseph with a free shot from just outside the six yard box.
St Joseph finished the season with a fourteenth victory only defeated three times across the twenty-match league season. Finishing just two points away from Europa and awaiting Lincoln’s result against Lions.