KITCHEE ended their league campaign on a winning note by beating Sing Tao 2-1 in a Hong Kong First Division match at Mongkok Stadium last night.
Kitchee's victory - their seventh in 18 matches - moved them on to 25 points and enabled them to leapfrog Happy Valley and finish fifth in the table, one place higher than last season on their return to the top flight.
The future of the club remains uncertain, however, with the chairman, Fred Ng Chi-keung, still undecided if he will continue next season.
Ng, the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association, has already informed the Kitchee Sports Club of his intention to resign as the main financial backer of the team.
This year the club have spent around $6.5 million and Ng is hoping to pull off a major sponsorship deal with a Swedish drinks manufacturer which may lead to a change of name for Kitchee next season.
''Everything should be clear by May 20, which is the deadline for me to negotiate a deal,'' said Ng.