Eastern drop points to make Kitchee Hong Kong Premier League title favourites
- Second place side salvage 2-2 draw with Rangers at the death but hand advantage to champions despite game in hand
- Charlie Scott and Robert Odu score in 3-3 thriller between Happy Valley and Southern, while Pegasus soar past Lee Man
Lee Chi-kin’s team went into the game seven points behind league leaders but with two games in hand on them, after Kitchee won earlier this weekend.
Eastern took the lead just after half-time with Leonardo following up a Sandro header from a corner to rattle home.
They nearly went 2-0 up with Wong Wai heading against the crossbar but soon found themselves 2-1 down.
Rangers drew level thanks to Augusto Da Silva before taking the lead through Lam Ka-wai, who volleyed home a Walter Jnr centre on 58 minutes.
Eastern reacted by throwing on more attackers and they went close several times before finally salvaging a point when Clayton Afonso reacted first to Li Yat-chun dropping a cross deep into stoppage time.
Sapling Cup: Eastern beat Happy Valley to hold all Hong Kong cups
The point keeps the dream of a first title since 2016 alive for Eastern but Kitchee have the advantage with three games left before the league splits into two for the final group stage, where the top four and bottom four will each play three more games.
Kitchee had no such drama in their game against Resources Capital. Danger man Dejan Damjanovic kept up his bright start to life in Hong Kong with another goal, taking just 12 minutes to open the scoring.
They were two goals to the good 10 minutes later, Ho Chun-ting putting away a Helio Goncalves nod down.
Damjanovic rounded out the scoring from the spot after 65 minutes after Manu Gavilan was fouled in the box. Lee Man lost to Kenneth Kwok’s TSW Pegasus despite taking the lead in the first half when Manuel Bleda flicked on a corner and Fernando Recio put it away.
Marcos Da Silva’s second half hat-trick secured all three points for Pegasus and moved them into third.
In the other game Southern and Happy Valley shared six goals and the points at Aberdeen Sports Ground.
Southern took the lead through Stefan Pereira after 38 minutes and double the lead just after half-time thanks to a James Ha volley.
Robert Odu pulled one back for Happy Valley after 51 minutes before former Manchester United youth player Charlie Scott scored his first Hong Kong Premier League goal to level the scores on 55 minutes.
Chu Wai-kwan then put the visitors ahead, heading home after coming off for the bench to make it 3-2 to Valley with 20 minutes to go.
They could have made it 4-2 10 minutes later but Mikael Severo saw his spot kick saved by Tse Tak-him.
Southern finally drew level in stoppage time. James Ha scored his second of the game from close range to earn a vital point.
