English Premier League still rules Hong Kong as Aston Villa win Soccer Sevens
- Villa beat Tai Po in cup final, but Hong Kong club impress as they knock out Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion
- Omari Kellyman scores twice in the final and the 17-year-old revels in emulating former Villa star Jack Grealish by finishing as leading scorer
It is 12 years since the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens produced a Hong Kong winner, but Tai Po went close to ending that run on Sunday before Aston Villa issued a reality check.
The Soccer Sevens had last had a local finalist in 2014, when Kitchee lost to Manchester City, and one had to go back to 2011 to find Hong Kong-based champions, when Kitchee triumphed over Celtic.
Tai Po did their bit for the host city by setting up a rematch with Villa, whom they had beaten in Saturday’s group stage. But their trajectory contrasted with that of their opponents, who improved with each round and cruised to a 3-0 victory with the tournament’s leading scorer Omari Kellyman contributing a brace.
Frustration saw Tai Po reduced from seven players to five as Lee Ka-ho and Luizinho were dismissed, but the men in green had already contributed more than their share of the weekend’s thrills and spills at Hong Kong Football Club.
The previous day, they had been well worth their 1-0 victory over Villa, then in Sunday’s quarter-finals they halted a Leicester City team fancied to make a dent on the knockout stage. Kitchee, too, overcame English opposition in the shape of Queens Park Rangers, before falling to Villa.
“At the start of the tournament we had a disappointing result against [Tai Po], so to bounce back and win all the games after that, I’m proud of the boys,” Kellyman said.
“[Tai Po and Kitchee] were great opposition. It’s been good to come here and play against some local players.”
The 17-year-old striker’s five goals ensured he emulated Manchester City’s former Villa ace Jack Grealish, who was top scorer at the Sevens in 2013 and 2014.
“It’s been a great experience,” Kellyman said. “To be in the same position Jack was in a few years ago is great – it’s good to follow in his footsteps.
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“I thought it was amazing how clean everything is here, and the tournament made it even better.”
Tai Po’s semi-final with Brighton & Hove Albion went to the wire. Hours after Luton Town and Coventry City required a shoot-out to determine which of them would be promoted to England’s top flight, Hong Kong was treated to its own penalty drama. It went Tai Po’s way.
Villa’s tourist excursions on this trip have taken in the markets of Kowloon, and they had a good look at the local football commodities in their two matches against Tai Po. They negotiated the second comfortably, Kellyman scoring with two assured finishes before a defensive mix-up set up Frankie Ealing for their third.
There was another rematch in the second-tier Shield final, in which Newcastle United reversed the scoreline of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Leicester. Remi Savage diverted in the opener, Deniche Hill burst from halfway to blast in Leicester’s leveller, and James Huntley fired in the winner for the Magpies.
Rangers won the Plate, and the Masters crown went to Wallsend Boys Club.
