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SCMP Reporter

South China needed an injury time goal before escaping with a 4-3 victory over minnows Club in the final league match of the season which almost went all wrong for the Caroliners at Mongkok Stadium last night.

  But disappointed Club players trooped back to the dressing room convinced they should have at least drawn with the Hong Kong giants.

  South China blew a 3-0 half-time lead as Andy Mitchell, Ashley Dyer and Paul Wilkin replied with a goal each to pull level at 3-3 with seven minutes of play left on the clock.

  South China's Chan Chi-kong, Lee Kin-wo (penalty) and Au Wai-lun had earlier given their side a comfortable lead.

  Bosnian striker Alen Bajkusa ruined the party for the worst team in the Hong Kong First Division when he grabbed the winner two minutes into injury time.

  'We should have won the game. We are all very disappointed. We were robbed by the referee,' said Club player/coach Tony Sealy.

  'The ref added two minutes of injury time which I find preposterous.' Even South China coach Wong Man-wai thought the points should have gone to Club.

  'I'm a bit surprised that the referee added injury time when there were no injuries in the second half. We played bad tonight.'   South China needed 14 clear goals to win the league outright having won the first phase of the championship last December.

  But Club, who were expected to provide cannon fodder to South China, almost changed the script as they saved their best for last to frustrate the Caroliners.

  Instant-Dict and South China finished the second phase of the championship on 20 points but Instant-Dict win the phase on a vastly superior goal difference.

  The two sides will now have to battle it out for the overall league championship on May 30 at the Hong Kong Stadium. Their earlier league encounters ended in goalless draws.

  'We played really bad even though we won,' said Bajkusa.

  'We were very nervous and everybody was thinking too much about the 14 goals we needed. We were very lucky to have won.'   Meanwhile, South China will hold an internal meeting this afternoon to discuss their Hong Kong First Division future.

  The club set up an eight-man special committee last week comprising South China Athletic Association (SCAA) chairman Victor Hui Chun-fui, vice-chairmen Andy Lo Yun-sum and Albert Hung, treasurer Tam Fan, secretary Tam Shou-sum, and committee members Luk Yau-king, Ko Po-keung and Chan Yiu-mo to decide whether the club should stay in the top flight next season.

  Lo stated two weeks ago his club will no longer stand for the mismanagement of the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA).



South China saved by injury-time strike