KITCHEE rescued an indifferent season back in the Hongkong First Division with a stunning 4-1 upset victory over high-flying Instant-Dict in an action-packed FA Cup quarter-final at Mongkok Stadium last night. Last season's Second Division champions, who had won only twice in their previous 11 league and cup games after a bright start to the campaign, scored twice in the first 12 minutes and led 3-1 by the 29th minute. Instant-Dict, who had cancelled out Kitchee's first goal with a ninth-minute equaliser from Marko Perinovic, piled forward in the second half but were caught on the break just before the final whistle to concede a fourth. Kitchee's goal-scorers - Sean Edwards, Gary Williams, Mark Barham, from the penalty spot, and Tang Kwok-yan - all received a $5,000 bonus on top of an $80,000 team reward for winning through to their first semi-final of the season in the third and final knockout competition. The winners of Tuesday's quarter-final between Eastern and Michelotti will play the rejuvenated Kitchee in the semi-finals, on May 30. Kitchee chairman Fred Ng Chi-keung said: ''That must be our best performance of the season. ''I am very pleased with all our players because they followed the instructions of the coach by defending well and then taking their chances.'' Edwards, the last of whose four goals had been scored on November 5, finally grabbed his fifth of the season in the sixth minute, capitalising on a defensive error to knock the ball into the far corner. Shaken by the goal, Instant-Dict lived up to their name with a swift reply, Perinovic rising well to head home his ninth of the season three minutes later. Edwards played a part in Kitchee's second, too, winning a header in a packed goalmouth for Williams to turn and smash the loose ball into the net in the 12th minute. Soon after Ian McParland had raced through and seen his shot strike the Kitchee post, Instant-Dict fell further behind in the 29th minute when Barham cracked in a penalty after left-back Cheung Yuk-sang had brought down right-winger Chung Chun-hung. Two players - Instant-Dict left-winger Adrian Thorpe and Kitchee right-back Fong Chi-ming - were sent off for kicking out at each other in a touchline skirmish in the 68th minute. After surviving several close calls, Kitchee broke away and hard-working midfielder Tang was rewarded for his persistence with a fine solo goal, leaving Instant-Dict - clearly the second best team in Hongkong this season after Eastern - to reflect on another campaign without a trophy. In the earlier quarter-final last night, holders Ernest Borel had no trouble disposing of disappointing Sing Tao 2-0. Ahead after just six minutes through midfielder Ng Kam-hung's sixth goal in the last five games, thanks to the efforts of striker Keith Thompson, Borel were never seriously threatened by a Sing Tao side who struggled to put together their usual passing game. Clive Goodyear, who had a fine game on the right side of midfield rather than at right-back, scored the second from the penalty spot in the 66th minute.
