HONG KONG—A full round of HKFA BOCG Life Premier League matches were played last weekend.
The first game on Saturday (Jan 10) featured Wong Tai Sin against BC Rangers at Hammer Hill Sports Ground. BC Rangers opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Chan Ming-kong’s corner kick was deflected into the net by Wong Tai Sin defender Wong Tsz-ho. BC Rangers extended their lead in the 36th minute when Yago Lopez headed in Eugene Mbone’s cross, whilst Wong Tai Sin pulled a goal back in the 45th minute when Li Jian scored to make the half time score 2-1 in favour of BC Rangers.
Wong Tai Sin equalised in the 64th minute when Yoon Dong-hun scored from Li Lian’s cross. BC Rangers again took the lead in the 72nd minute when Oscar Rodriguez headed in Shay Spitz’s cross. Wong Tai Sin levelled the scores deep in time added on, when Alessandro Leonardo scored from Yoon Dong-hun’s cross in the 96th minute, and a full time 3-all draw.
Saturday’s other match saw Sun Pegasus take on Wofoo Tai Po at Mongkok Stadium.
Wofoo Tai Po took the lead in the 25th minute when Vincent Weijl scored direct from a free kick past Sun Pegasus goalkeeper Jerrod Tyson. However, Sun Pegasus equalised in the 30th minute when Yip Tsz-chun fed Landon Ling to fire home, and then took the lead in the 44th minute when Festus Baise headed in a free kick for a 2-1 half time lead.
Sun Pegasus extended their lead in the 49th minute when Dario Damjanovic converted from Lee Hong-lim’s cross, and Admir Rascic completed the scoring by adding Sun Pegasus’s 4th in the 51st minute, firing a direct free kick past goalkeeper Leung Man-li, and a final score of 4-1 to Sun Pegasus.
In Sunday’s (Jan 11) first game Eastern took on I-Sky Yuen Long at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. I-Sky Yuen Long took the lead in the 20th minute when Cheung Chi-yung headed in Chan Ka-chun’s free kick. Eastern were unable to convert any of their subsequent chances, and I-Sky Yuen Long led 1-nil at the half time break.
In the second half, Eastern equalised in the 78th minute when Giovane Da Silva scored from Ricky Yiu’s pass, and the same player then doubled his and Eastern’s score one minute later when he headed home Leung Tsz-chung’s cross for a 2-1 win.
In Sunday’s other game at Mongkok Stadium, reigning champions Kitchee played South China. South China took the lead in the 24th minute when a corner fell to the feet of Yuko Nakamura, and he then knocked the ball into the penalty box where Andrew Russell directed the ball into the net. Despite chances for either side, neither could add to the score, and South China led 1-nil at half time.
Juan Belencoso equalised for Kitchee in the 52nd minute firing home after Paulo Carreiro had headed on Kam Ka-wai’s corner, and then added a second in the 58th minute. Kitchee were left to rue further missed chances when South China equalised in the 94th minute, when Awal Mahama struck a shot into the net and a full-time 2-all draw, which took away Kitchee’s previous 100 per cent record.
Eastern now lead the Premier League standings with 19 points from 8 games, with a better goal difference than Sun Pegasus with the same points from 9 games. South China are third on 16 points from 9 games, and Kitchee fourth with 14 points from 6 games.
There were no games in the lower HKFA leagues, and few games scheduled before the 3 leagues resume their rounds of matches at the start of February.
Yau Yee League
League rounds recommenced and the first division saw Wanderers prevail 2-1 against Baker Tilly Spartans, Albion win 3-1 against French Kiss, KCC Dragons 2-nil victors over Corinthians, GAS win 4-1 against Swiss XI, Boca Seniors draw 2-all with The Store House Squadron, and Colts upset USRC with a 3-2 victory.
In the first game at Sports Road, Wanderers took an early 2nd minute lead when a corner was failed to be cleared and Sebastian Beer forced the ball into the net. Wanderers then failed to register from a number of chances, but after a quick interchange of passes on the left-hand side of the half-way line in the 22nd minute, Spartans released their forward into the Wanderers half. He advanced towards the penalty box, cutting in as he did so, and then tried to pass inside the defender with the outside of the boot to the unmarked centre forward near the edge of the box. However, as he did so, Andrew Wylde turned and attempted to intercept the pass, but only succeeded in getting a toe to the ball and diverting it just inside goalkeeper James Seddon’s right-hand post.
In the 30th minute some interpassing by Wanderers midway into the Spartans half saw the final ball threaded between the 2 Spartans defenders release Neil Shonhard through on goal from 30 yards out, and he ran with the ball into the box before firing through the goalkeeper’s legs. Wanderers retained the lead of 2-1 until half time.
In a second half with chances at either end, neither side could add to the score.
In the second game at Sports Road, French Kiss took the lead in the 9th minute when, after a free kick 35 yards out on the left-hand side was knocked into the penalty box, John Casey sliced his clearance from just outside the 6 yard box past goalkeeper Blake Harding. Albion equalised a minute later when a series of crisp passes ended with the ball at the feet of Jordan Rhodes running into the box, and he went left before sliding the ball right of the goalkeeper and into the net. The score remained until the half time break.
Albion took the lead in the 69th minute through Tim Phillips before they wrapped up the game in the 82nd minute when a ball was knocked into the penalty box and Robert Gasper fired home from 8 yards for a 3-1 Albion victory.
USRC took the lead against Colts in the 4th minute when the ball was hooked home after a corner failed to be cleared. Colts equalised after 13 minutes when a free kick was delivered into the box before being converted. USRC restored their lead in the 33rd minute, but Colts equalised again in the 38th minute when Alan Fraser scored direct from a left footed free kick on the right hand side on the edge of the penalty box, which led to a half-time 2-all score.
Both sides had chances in the second half, but the game was settled in the 67th minute when Colts worked the ball down the left-hand side before ending up with Robbie Bacon who drove a left-foot shot into the top left-hand corner of the net. USRC tried desperately to get back to level terms, but were not helped when they had a man sent off in the 74th minute for a foul and second yellow card.
The USRC upset tightened the championship race after 13 games, with Albion leading on 28 points, Wanderers are second with the same statistics, but an inferior goal difference. USRC are in third place with 27 points and a superior goal difference over fourth place KCC Dragons, and GAS are fifth with 25 points.
In the second division, HKDC Mobsters prevailed 2-1 against Antonhill, SFALO Oxford drew 1-all with Interglobo Colloids, GGFC were 3-2 victors over ANP, KCC Knights drew 1-all with WYFC06, HKU70’s won 7-1 against CSOB, and The Store House Hearts won 2-1 against Azzurri. HKDC Mobsters now lead the table with 30 points from 13 games, with HKU70’s second with 29 points from the same games.
In the third division, University were 2-nil winners against HKUSA, HOB were 5-nil victors over Darts, Green Cypress were 3-nil winners over CAPS, Dynamo drew 1-all with IES, Yan Po were 2-1 victors over Scorpions, and White Youth won 1-nil against Goal Visio. University now lead the table with 35 points from 13 games, with IES second with 30 points from the same games.
In the fourth division, Rising Sun won 2-1 against Outward Bound, Hung Art drew 1-all with Grasshoppers, Skyline drew 1-all with Standard Chartered, HKSS won 3-1 against Youth Coaches, Power 22 were 5-1 victors over Friends of Barclays, and WYFC84 won 4-1 against Bapcoll. Power 22 lead the division with 35 points from 13 games, HKSS second with 33 points from the same games, and Grasshoppers third with 29 points from the same games.
Allan Jackson has been involved in Soccer for more than 40 years as a player, referee, administrator and freelance writer.
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