Surprise finalists Beacon College meet defending champions YCH Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School (TCY) in the All-Hong Kong Schools Jing Ying Football Tournament title-decider tomorrow at Mongkok Stadium.
The championship match will be a curtain-raiser to the Silver Shield final between First Division sides Kitchee and Happy Valley. The Beacon boys, the Yuen Long district champions, are taking part in the event for the first time, and have exceeded expectations by reaching the final.
They saw off the challenge of St Joan of Arc Secondary School in the first round, then beat Tsung Tsin College. Top seeds St Joseph's College were edged out in the quarter-finals and Tai Po and North champions Fanling Lutheran Secondary School were toppled in the semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out.
Now, standing between them and an unlikely Jing Ying title are the Sha Tin and Sai Kung district champions, TCY.
'Beating St Joseph's was an important and encouraging result,' said Beacon head coach, Leung Bo-sum. 'It gave the boys the ambition and desire to go on and win the tournament.
'I think TCY are a very mechanical team - their boys will follow instructions very strictly. My team is the opposite. I encourage the boys to express themselves and show their individuality on the field.'
He said the school would bring up to 200 students, teachers and parents to support the team.