Champions Happy Valley ended Lanwa Redbull's 100 per cent record when they defeated the Guangdong-based club 4-2 yesterday.
Two late injury-time goals - one from captain Gerard Ambassa Guy and another from midfielder Poon Man-tik -sealed the issue for Valley, who registered only their second win in five matches.
Valley's victory was made easier by defender Geng Xin's sending-off in the 70th minute after a second bookable offence as the champions moved to fourth on the table.
Lanwa had built an amazing early-season record and looked on track to at least pinch a point when they led 2-1 at the break. Vitor Manique de Jesus put Valley ahead in the 31st minute before Lanwa fought back with goals from Zhang Yu and Yu Bo in the 44th and 45th minutes respectively.
Valley were quick to reply in the second half with Guy equalising a minute after the resumption before two more late strikes ended Lanwa's resistance. Lanwa remain second on the table behind Kitchee on goal difference having played one game more. Meanwhile, former champions Xiangxue Sun Hei face rivals South China without four suspended players in today's main event at Hong Kong Stadium. Citizen and WoFoo Taipo will battle it out in the day's earlier encounter.
Sun Hei's Chung Kin-hei, Cristiano Cordeiro, Carlo Hartwig and Lau Chi-keung will miss the match after they were sent off during the side's 2-1 defeat by Lanwa last week. South China have yet to shine despite a massive HK$10 million budget, but will have a chance to prove themselves against a weakened Sun Hei side, who are languishing in seventh place in the table.