10-man Kitchee exploit sloppy Churchill defence in AFC Cup tie

A 10-man Kitchee got off to a flying start in the AFC Cup with a 3-0 win over visitors Churchill Brothers of India at Mong Kok Stadium last night.

Coach Josep Gombau paid tribute to the hard work of his charges as they secured victory despite the player deficit.

"It is important to start with a win," said the Spaniard. "Although there is still a long way to go in the tournament, we get a good start to boost our future.

"It's not easy because we played two matches in three days, but we are happy to see the players hold on till the end despite playing with only 10 men in most of the second half."

Kitchee's rotation plan saw just half of their regulars in the starting line-up of their Sunday league match in which they defeated Tuen Mun 2-0.

All players then had a chance to prove themselves last night's important regional cup tie. They did not disappoint the 1,800-strong home crowd, taking a comfortable 2-0 led in the group E match after the first 45 minutes.

But they should also thank the opposition for two easy chances as poor defence cost the visitors dearly. First, Huang Yang's right cross did not encounter any Churchill Brothers defender, leaving Chu Siu-kei to coolly slot home from the far post.