Before last weekend’s games the Hong Kong Football Association took the unusual step of suspending Tuen Mun and Happy Valley for the remainder of the 2012/13 season.
Accordingly, HKFA have annulled the two club’s results for the year due to their inability to fulfil their fixtures for the remainder of the season, while ongoing investigations into separate alleged match-fixing continues.
A statement by HKFA said that both clubs were unable to demonstrate that they are viable football clubs in terms of governance arrangements and financial sustainability.
A further statement on HKFA’s website says that the decision to suspend matches is not linked to the match-fixing allegations in HVAA’s (Happy Valley Athletic Association Limited) case, but was in TMSA’s (Tuen Mun Sports Association Limited).
“It is important to point out that in relation to HVAA, the HKFA Ad hoc Committee’s remit was an investigation into the ‘viability’ of the club in terms of its governance, financial status and operational abilities. The Committee specifically did not consider match-fixing because this is now under investigation by the ICAC [Independent Commission Against Corruption].
“In relation to TMSA, the Committee did seek information on match-fixing in addition to reviewing the viability of the club because TMSA is not being formally investigated by the ICAC.”
The suspension and removal of points that the two clubs had won this season has little impact on the season’s standings as they had only accumulated 5-points between them.
Kitchee’s Hold on Lead
It was business as usual as Kitchee maintained their 10-point lead over South China after both team’s won their HKFA Championship First Division games last weekend.
In the early game on Saturday (Feb 15) at Mongkok Stadium Kitchee took an early lead over Royal Southern in the 2nd minute when Alexander Akande scored with a shot in their first attack.
Kitchee doubled their lead after 19 minutes when their attack was finished with a shot from Lam Ka-wai. Kitchee added another before half time in the 36th minute when Daniel Rodrigues converted Diego Cascon’s cross for a 3-nil half time lead.
Kitchee finished the scoring in the 69th minute when Jorge Tarres finished from Lam Ka wai’s pass for a 4-nil win.
In Saturday’s later game, at Hong Kong Government Stadium, South China won 3-1 against Yokohama FC (HK) to remain 10 points behind Kitchee with a game in hand.
Yokohama took the lead in the 46th minute when Kenji Fukada headed in Wong Wai’s corner for a 1-nil half time lead.
South China equalised after 64 minutes through Sasa Kajkut’s shot.
South China left it late to win the game when first, Jack Sealy, scored in the 89th minute, and then Andrew Barasic sealed the win in stoppage time and a final 3-1 result.
Sunday’s (Feb 16) two games were high-scoring affairs, Eastern Salon were defeated by BC Rangers 3-4, while Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei also fought out a 3-all draw with I-Sky Yuen Long – though neither result impacted on the leading standings.
With 3-points the maximum available for winning a game, Kitchee (31 points) are three wins and a draw ahead of South China (21), though South China have a game in hand.
In the Second Division HKFC won their derby with Lucky Mile 3-nil on Saturday night to continue to press and chase the two division leaders.
In the leader’s games on Sunday, Wong Tai Sin won 3-1 against Wing Yee, while Wofoo Tai Po recorded a similar win against Tuen Mun.
Wong Tai Sin (36) lead the Second Division ahead of Woofoo Tai Po (34) and HKFC (32).
Key results in the Third Division saw Yau Tsim Mong defeat Kowloon City 5-nil; and Metro Gallery Sun Source suffered a 3-2 defeat to Tsuen Wan. Yau Tsim Mong now lead the table (with 49 points), followed by second-placed Metro Gallery Sun Source (37), closely followed by Mutual (36) and Sham Shui Po (35). Although Metro Gallery Sun Source appear to have a commanding 12-point lead over their nearest rival, they have two games in hand on each of their promotion challengers.
Sai Kung (31) top the Fourth Division, 2-points ahead of GFC Friends and a further point ahead of Central & Western. This follows Sai Kung’s defeat of Central & Western 2-nil, with GFC Friends having a bye. GFC Friends have a game in hand on Sai Kung, while Central & Western has played one more game than Sai Kung.
Yau Yee League
USRC maintained their grip on the Yau Yee Division One title with a 4-nil defeat of Swiss XI.
Meanwhile, their nearest challenger, Wanderers won a fairly scrappy game at Sports Road winning 2-nil against Baker Tilly Spartans. A well-struck goal in the 40th minute from Neil Shonhard gave them a 1-nil half-time lead. Wanderers’ second came in stoppage time when Scott Hooper volleyed from the edge of the box into the top right-hand corner of the net.
In other games, GAS won 5-1 over Interglobo Colloids; KCC Dragons won 3-1 against Antonhill; Colts won 1-nil against The Store House Squadron; and Albion and Kiss drew 1-all in the late game at King’s Park.
USRC now appear to have an unassailable 11-point lead ahead of Wanderers with six rounds remaining and a maximum 3-points available for a win each round.
Failing an unlikely dramatic fall in USRC’s (44 points) form opening the door for the championship, the battle is tight for second-place honours with Wanderers (33) in second; while GAS’s and KCC Dragons’ win moved them into third and fourth respectively, they remain level on points (30); they both overtook the defeated Swisss XI (29).
KCC Knights now top a closely fought Division Two. KCC Knights are level on 33 points with Corinthians after the former’s 5-nil win over GGFC and the latter’s 6-nil win against Yan Po. Boca (31) moved to third after their 2-nil win over Oxford, equal on points with previous leaders The Store House Hearts who lost 2-1 to ANP.
HKU70’s (40) now lead Division Three after their 3-2 win against Goal Visio, with WYFC06 (37) moving to second after their 1-nil defeat by Dynamo.
IES (43) lead Division Four after their 3-nil win against Hung Art, with Power22 (34) second after their 4-2 win against Barclays.
