Surprise defeat bitter pill to swallow for Mior
South China coach Casemiro Mior couldn't believe the result. Neither could the Xiangxue Pharmaceutical team. And when the enormity of their defeat finally sank in minutes after the final whistle, Mior was sure South China had conceded the league championship.
Xiangxue, an experimental team made up mostly of teenaged mainland players, did the unthinkable by defeating South China 3-2 in a First Division match at Mongkok Stadium yesterday.
Icelandic defender Vihjalmur Vilhjalmsson scored an own goal to give South China a 36th-minute lead but made amends just three minutes later by equalising. Wang Jiaye made it 2-1 to the mainlanders in the 69th minute before Chan Ho-man replied for the Caroliners in the 77th minute. Liu Bin then delivered the hammer blow with a deftly placed lob in injury time to give Xiangxue, struggling third from bottom in the standings, the points.
It was the second successive defeat for the Caroliners, who last week suffered a surprise 1-0 reversal against Buler Rangers. But this time, the alarm bells were ringing. It was the biggest upset in the First Division since Five-One-Seven defeated now-defunct Instant-Dict a decade ago.
Mior was a disconsolate figure after the match as the result left Sun Hei three points clear at the top of the standings after 10 games. Sun Hei had defeated Club 2-1 on Friday night.
Earlier, champions Happy Valley edged Buler Rangers 3-2 to join South China in second spot - South China having a slightly superior goal difference - although Mior was convinced South China had blown their chances of winning the title.
'We had suffered no losses for seven or eight months before and now we have been beaten twice in succession. We have given the championship to Sun Hei or Happy Valley,' said the Brazilian coach. 'We have lost six points in two games. That's unbelievable.'
South China had thrashed Xiangxue 7-0 in their previous league encounter last October, but with Brazilian centre back Cristiano Cordeiro and attacking midfielder Aderbal Filho both out of action through injury and suspension respectively, South China had to make adjustments.
Attacking midfielder Ricky Cheng Siu-chung was pulled back to defence at left-back - but the move backfired.
Meanwhile, Happy Valley had to thank Gerard Ambassa Guy for the points after the Cameroonian defender struck twice against Rangers.
Guy scored in the 76th and 80th minutes after teammate James Rolston struck in the 20th minute. Pun Wing-on and Yugoslav defender Dejan Antonic, playing his first game in eight months after recovering from a snapped Achilles tendon, hit Rangers' consolation goals.
