St Joseph leave their doors open for a final chance for the title

St Joseph 5 -0 Manchester 62

St Joseph dominated possession from the kickoff but had to contend with the fact that it was Manchester 62, through Ocran, who had the first shot at goal, testing Bradley Banda.
Wasted chances, such as a free kick sent wide of its target, marked St Joseph’s start in the first ten minutes.
This was a crucial match for the blues, who had to win to ensure they did not squander their chances of a final bid for the title in the last match against Lincoln Red Imps next weekend.
A draw or defeat were not options, as this would give Lincoln Red Imps the league title if the latter were to win this weekend.
St Joseph had maintained a steady, positive rhythm throughout their league campaign. However, crucial points dropped in round two spelled the end of their dominance at the very top of the league, allowing Lincoln to gain a two-point advantage as they entered the final matches.
Manchester, although out of contention for a place in Europe and facing difficulties within their ranks after the departure of other foreign players, put in a gritty start to their match against the title contenders.
Ocran received the first yellow card of the match after just 18 minutes as he stopped Borge from breaking free at the halfway line.
A yellow card to a St Joseph player caused some controversy after it was given, following claims to show a card from a Manchester player, an act which itself should have received a yellow card under the new regulations this year.
The first twenty minutes saw St Joseph have opportunities to threaten Manchester’s goal, although their final attempts were somewhat tame for a side needing to win the match.
There was little doubt as to St Joseph’s superiority, with their passing game across the full width of the pitch leaving Manchester chasing for the ball.
Yellow cards continued to be shown, with Manchester receiving two consecutive cards on the half-hour mark after a foul followed by player protests.
The frustrations, however, befell the blue and whites who continued not to find a way to goal and then found themselves with their opponents gaining confidence and pushing them back.
While St Joseph failed to impress in attack, Manchester threatened Bradley Banda’s goal in their few chances.
Manchester ended up with ten men after a straight red card was given for a foul on the 42nd minute close to the halfway line, a turning point in the match just before halftime.
Ocran received a straight red card on the 47th minute, five minutes into injury time. Two minutes later, St Joseph scored their first goal with the halftime whistle yet to be blown.
The halftime whistle finally arrived after 51 minutes played, with Manchester having nine players on the pitch and a goal behind.
Manchester 62 struggled from the start of the second half with just nine men. However, St Joseph’s own failings to capitalize from their dominance saw them have to wait until the 65th minute when they were able to score their second. The goal came from a spot kick after a handball inside Manchester’s penalty area, with Gonzalez securing the goal.
Fernandez Ruiz, Manchester’s keeper, made at least three good saves to deny St Joseph before conceding.
St Joseph had full control of the game, with Manchester having little to no possession and giving the ball away easily, finding themselves stuck in their half.
As Manchester tired, their resilience at the back waned. Ruiz kept busy but was unable to stop St Joseph from grabbing their third just two minutes later, with a deflection from a defender catching the keeper by surprise.
Mistakes in control and inability to play out of the back saw Manchester easily beaten to the ball for a fourth goal in the 70th minute.
St Joseph, who had struggled to show any effectiveness in attack in the first half, ran away with a comfortable victory as they took advantage of their numerical superiority.
Credit to Manchester, who, although overwhelmed and having to play most of the second half within their final third of the pitch, kept the score reasonable under the circumstances.
A final 5-0 victory for St Joseph was more a testament to Manchester’s resilience and determination not to face another humiliating defeat, such as they had against Lincoln Red Imps when they conceded ten.
With the victory, St Joseph ensured that regardless of the result between Magpies and Lincoln Red Imps, they would still be playing for the title against Lincoln in their final match of the season. St Joseph looks to break the stranglehold Lincoln and Europa have held since Gibraltar entered UEFA membership and claim their first league title since 1995/96.