St Joseph lose 2-1 to Shelbourne in Dublin

St Joseph faced a nightmare start to their UEFA Conference League campaign. The side owned by Mike Garrick, formerly the owner of Burnley and recently having acquired Antequera CF, faced an immediate uphill struggle as they conceded in the very first minute of the match against Irish league leaders Shelbourne.

An assist from Jarvis allowed Mark Coyle to score the goal, setting the tone for the two-legged tie. St Joseph, who had seen their bid for the league title fall away after leading the table, had been without competitive football since the end of May. Their opponents, in contrast, had won their last three league matches and drawn one, gaining a three-point lead in their domestic league table ahead of rivals Derry. The latter had just lost against Bruno Magpies moments earlier in Gibraltar.

Once again, St Joseph lined up for a European match with a minimum of homegrown players. Adam Pas opted to play with three former Europa players in Walker, Olivero, and Jolley, leaving the likes of Banda, Borge, Pons, and Barnett on the bench. Marco Rosa, a new arrival from Lincoln Red Imps, also warmed the bench.

Playing at Tolka Park in Dublin, St Joseph did not see an attempt on goal until the 30th minute, with Walker sending his attempt wide. Shelbourne’s Burt had sent two chances wide himself. With the St Joseph keeper ensuring Coyle did not grab his second goal, it was the Blues who were to come up with the goods. A well-delivered corner by Walker saw Curado putting it away for the equalizer with five minutes to halftime.

St Joseph headed to the break having placed pressure on Shelbourne and turned the tables on the game. Shelbourne made changes at halftime with Sean Boyd coming on. He had an immediate impact, forcing a foul from Rey in the 57th minute, with St Joseph conceding a penalty. Jarvis secured Shelbourne’s second goal from the spot kick.

Shelbourne made two further changes, bringing on two midfielders, one of whom was a replacement for their forward Burt. St Joseph also made changes, with Aznar coming on for Alvarez. The Blues now needed to find an equalizer for a second time. Juan Pena was also brought on for Rodriguez Moreno in a straight swap upfront.

With Shelbourne placing pressure on St Joseph, Paz brought on Pons for goal scorer Paul Curado. Pons, a defender known for his tendency to work the wings and with international experience for Gibraltar, provided fresh energy. With just two attempts at goal as they entered the final fifteen minutes, St Joseph had not created many opportunities other than the initial equalizer. Pena, who had only just come on, sent a shot wide—the first attempt in the second half for the Blues.

Rey had the next attempt for St Joseph in the 81st minute after Shelbourne saw Coote and Woods’ attempts blocked. St Joseph made further changes, bringing on the experienced Marco Rosa, who had played Champions League football with Lincoln Red Imps, in the final minutes, replacing Jolley. Bautista, another midfielder, came on for Rey.

Protecting their lead, Shelbourne replaced goal scorer Jarvis with a defender. With four minutes of added time, but eight played instead, Shelbourne protected their 2-1 lead, now forcing St Joseph to overcome a goal deficit in their home leg at Europa Point on Thursday.