Dejan Damjanovic added-time goal saves Kitchee blushes before 4-1 extra-time win over Southern in Senior Shield
- Prolific striker draws Hong Kong Premier League giants level in the dying seconds of quarter-final before completing hat-trick
- Southern boss Ricky Cheng Siu-chung says result is ‘unfair’ as five minutes of added-time had already expired when Damjanovic first struck
Kwoon Chung Southern coach Ricky Cheng Siu-chung was left ruing a dramatic late slip that cost his side victory against Kitchee in the Senior Shield quarter-finals on Saturday, with the heavyweights eventually running out 4-1 victors after extra-time.
The district team were leading 1-0 at Mong Kok Stadium, thanks to a second-half goal by forward Awal Mahama, with fives minutes of added time over.
But prolific striker Dejan Damjanovic saved Kitchee 10 seconds after the allotted time, finding the equaliser with a clinical finish with the last strike of normal time.
Then, against a demoralised and tiring Southern in extra time, the 41-year-old found two more for his first hat-trick of the season in front of 1,500 supporters, and provided one assist for Ruslan Mingazov.
Kitchee will next face Lee Man, who saw off Sham Shui Po 5-0 later on Saturday.
“We timed the match, and the five minutes of added time had already gone before Damjanovic hit the equaliser 10 seconds after,” said the Southern coach.