Roger makes Kitchee jolly
A HAT-TRICK from Brazilian Rogerio carried Kitchee to a 4-0 win over Club in a Hong Kong First Division match at the Shamshuipo Sports Ground last night.
The 26-year-old striker from Coritiba was on target in the 19th, 75th and 80th minutes to earn his side three precious points.
Kitchee's only previous league win had been against Rangers on October 14 and this second victory of the campaign moved them on to six points and above Rangers into seventh place in the 10-team table.
But it will not stop Kitchee chairman Fred Ng Chi-keung looking for more foreign recruits.
He already has six on his books - one more than are allowed to play at any one time - but is trying to sign a centre forward from an English Second Division club.
Kitchee got off to a flying start with a 10th-minute goal from midfielder Wu Yiu-kwok, the former Ernest Borel defender, who let fly with a left foot volley from the edge of the area.
Nine minutes later, Rogerio - whose full name is Rogerio Dos Santos Oliveira but is known to his teammates as Roger - scored his first with a flying header to Chan Hon-fai's free-kick from the left wing.
The score remained at 2-0 until half-time but Club dominated the early stages of the second half.
Their best chance fell to striker Kevin Russell, who dragged his left foot shot narrowly wide of goal in the 51st minute.
Rogerio, however, ended all hope of a Club comeback when he struck twice in the space of six minutes in the closing stages of the game.
In the 75th minute, after good work down the right wing from Yeung Hei-chi , Kitchee debutant Tristram Morgan, the former Kui Tan player, laid the ball into his path for the Brazilian to shoot low into the corner.
Five minutes later, Rogerio rounded Club 'keeper Andy Roseburgh and slotted the ball home with his left foot to complete a hat-trick.
He was unable to finish the game, however, as he limped off with an ankle injury five minutes from time.
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