Southern and Lee Man battle for consolation prize in Sapling Cup final
- Both sides looking to snatch final silverware of the season after Hong Kong giants Kitchee swept to dominant treble
- Southern welcome return of several key players from injury, while Lee Man must do without suspended star striker Everton Camargo
Kwoon Chung Southern aim to accomplish a decade-long dream of winning their first silverware in the top flight as they take on Lee Man in the JC Sapling Cup final at Mong Kok Stadium on Saturday.
After promotion to the then-First Division in 2012, the district club have reached three cup finals but went home empty-handed on each occasion.
With giants Kitchee sweeping the three other major trophies – the Hong Kong Premier League, Senior Shield and FA Cup – Southern and Lee Man can only secure honours in what is widely considered the least important cup competition of the season, one that requires teams to play three under-22 players in each match.
But still, the trophy would mean plenty for both clubs after a 10-month long season which will officially come to a close at the final whistle of Saturday’s match.
A month ago, Southern were still mounting a challenge for an AFC Champions League spot and the FA Cup, but a long list of injuries cost them dearly with the Sapling Cup their last hope.
They had just seven players on the bench when they lost their last league match away at Football Club 2-1 this month.
“We don’t have a squad where players on the bench are good enough when required,” club chairman Chan Man-chun said. “We lost all three of our last matches in the league and also in the FA Cup semi-finals, and injuries were one of the major reasons as we did not have enough players to cover.