Finale round of Hong Kong Red MR First Division League

Beside the Kitchee and Yokohama game was played a day earlier, four of the other five finale round of Hong Kong Red MT First Division League games were all kicked start yesterday 2.30pm.

  Yesterday weather was not perfect and there were raining in certain areas.  Though the champion and relegation issue have been settled before the finale round but last week is still a week of game to watch due to the fact that Sun Pegasus and South China is fighting for the first runners up position for participating in next season opener, charity shield of new Hong Kong Premier League starting in August/September 2014.  

Before the kick off of Sun Pegasus/Rangers and South China/Citizen, both teams are locked horn at 17 games and 29 points with Sun Pegasus at a better head to head result leaving them sitting on 2 nd place.  Sun Pegasus is required to get a better or equal result than South China while South China has no choice but to beat Citizen and looking for Sun Pegasus to get a result worse than them.

  In Sun Pegasus/Rangers game, Sun Pegasus opened the scoring in 10 minutes and the game was without further goal and this early goal separated the two sides resulting Sun Pegasus for sure a first runners up finish.  Rangers despite the fact that they are in the fight for top 4 finish so that they can for sure to clinch a place in the season end 2015 AFC Cup playoff spot for Hong Kong, they failed to score any and leaving them at 21 points for 18 games and waiting for their faith depending on the results of other games.

South China/Citizen however was more lively and with South China leading 2-0 at half time. Citizen pulled one back in 55 minutes and South China scored by Lima again at 61 minutes. But Citizen's fighting spirit never extinguish and pulled one back at 70 minutes by its Hong Kong National Team Player Sham Kwok Keung.  The match ended at 3-2 for South China.

  After the match Citizen has announced to the players that they will not be participated in the new Hong Kong Premier League leaving the club as a history for top flight division and sadness certainly in the heart and face of the Citizen players and supporters.

The other game between Eastern Salon and I-sky Yuen Long also ended in a surprise result with the underdog I-sky Yuen Long taking all three points by winning the game at 1-0.  The result hit Eastern Salon badly as they ended up 21 points with Rangers and they are behind Kitchee, Sun Pegasus and South China.  The other spots for AFC Cup playoff shall be relying on the last game of the week that is between Sun Hei and Royal Southern.

This Sun Hei/Royal Southern game certainly the most dramatic game of the week.  Sun Hei scored very early in the game ay 6 minutes and Sun hei went on to score the second goal before half time by its captain Roberto. 

Should the score stay the same at the end of the game, Sun Hei would have 22 points which made them leapfrog Rangers and Eastern Salon  to clinch a playoff spot for AFC Cup playoff spot for Hong Kong and leaving Eastern Salon and Rangers to deal with the last spot on either Eastern Salon gets it if they win next week Hong Kong FA Cup against Kitchee or Rangers gets it should Eastern Salon lose to Kitchee in FA Cup. 

 However, as all knows football is ever changing and result wouldn't be final until the whistle is blown.  In second half Royal Southern has employed an all attack strategy and two second half substitutions namely James Ha (loaned player from Kitchee)  and Yago Gonzalez (Spanish imports) took to the field and the composure of the game has been changing to a more direct attack by Royal Southern. 

 At 50 minutes, Royal Southern pulled one back through Yago Gonzalez via spot kick.  Royal Southern kept on pushing for the equalizer and the chance came at 85 minutes for a second penalty for the game, however this time Yago missed the penalty.  One would think Sun Hei would surely get past the frantic attack from Royal Southern and defends their place in the AFC playoff.

  At 92 minutes, Royal Southern Ip Chung  Long passed the ball in the box for Yago Gonzalez, an opportunist to side footed the ball into the net and made the game 2-2.  At this time at this score, both teams will miss out the playoff spot with Sun Hei at 20 points and Royal Southern at 19 points. 

 Once the ball restarted, Royal Southern wasted no time and pushed forward again and they made it.....they scored again through Yago Gonzalez at 93 minutes with assist from another Spanish imports Jonathan Carrill.

  With this goal at 93 minutes, Royal Southern has a remarkable come back and pushed themselves in the league table 4th position with 21 points from 18 games and a better head to head result against Rangers and Eastern Salon. 

 Royal Southern same as last year ended up in league table at 4th place and clinched the AFC Cup Playoff spot.

  Royal Southern, Sun Pegasus and South China will wait for next week Hong Kong FA Cup final result to know whether Rangers or Eastern Salon will compete with them in the week of May 25 for the second spot representing Hong Kong alongside Kitchee in 2015 AFC Cup.