An extraordinary fightback in the second half helped Rangers earn a draw against Sai Kung Friends in a 10-goal Ericsson League thriller at the Siu Sai Wan Stadium yesterday. Trailing 3-0 at half-time, Rangers looked to be dead and buried but managed somehow to claw their way back into the game to clinch a logic-defying 5-5 draw against the First Division newcomers. Rangers were even denied what would have been a remarkable victory after a Ku Ling-chung own goal saw them sneak into 5-4 lead with seven minutes left. Wong Nga-lok popped up for Sai Kung two minutes later, however, to save his team with a simple equaliser. If yesterday proved anything, it is that there is clearly little depth in defensive talent in Hong Kong football. The regularity with which goals flew in from all angles during the second half was more in keeping with a Victoria Park kickabout than a First Division match. But who cares? The 700-or-so fans who shelled out their $60 for yesterday's sun-soaked tussle were not complaining. The match had initially threatened total obliteration for Rangers, who were sliced open time and again by some nimble work from Tomy Giacomelli and Colly Barnes in attack. Giacomelli struck in the eighth and 17th minutes and Barnes in the 25th to put Sai Kung 3-0 up at the break. Six minutes into the second half, Geronimo Hilton gave Rangers a glimmer of hope when he ran through a static Sai Kung defence to make it 3-1. Sai Kung re-established their three-goal margin a minute later, however, when Barnes side-footed home a Giacomelli cross to make it 4-1. Sai Kung looked assured of victory. Fatally, they eased up somewhat and Rangers poured forward in an attempt to make a game of it. The fightback started in the 65th minute when Hilton bagged his second of the game to make it 4-2. Seven minutes later, Cameroonian defender Gerald Ambassa crashed in a shot from the edge of the area to put Rangers back in touch. Rangers' bold attacking play was rewarded in the 76th minute when Cheung Yiu-lun headed in after Sai Kung's defence failed to clear a corner. On 83 minutes, Rangers took the lead when Wong Chun-yue pressured Ku, who neatly deflected the ball over the head of his helpless goalkeeper Kan Wing-hong. That looked to have settled the match but Sai Kung came back and Wong's late equaliser completed the scoring. Rangers were not finished though, and in the dying minutes Chu Siu-kei saw a rasping shot from the edge of the area clip the top of the bar.
