Lee Man played against Sham Shui Po at Aberdeen Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon for the 2023-24 FA Cup semi Final fixture of the day. Sham Shui Po defeated Lee Man by 2:1 and promoted to the final stage.
Lee Man commenced the game with an aggressive offensive strategy, carving out a gilt-edged opportunity merely 6 minutes into the match. Henri Anier seized Tsui Wang Kit's throw-in delivery, executing a powerful left-footed strike in the penalty area that necessitated a flying save from the goalkeeper.
Just a minute later, Lee Man created another scoring opportunity. Everton Camargo delivered a corner kick from the right, with Tsui Wang Kit leaping high amidst the throng of players and heading towards the goal, but his effort ricocheted off the crossbar.
Maintaining their upper hand, Lee Man finally broke the deadlock at the 29th minute. Wong Wai cut inside from the left flank, unleashing a right-footed long-range shot that found the back of the net, propelling Lee Man into a 1:0 lead.
Lee Man thought they had doubled their lead when Henri Anier's follow-up shot found the net after Wong Wai's close-range effort was repelled by the goalkeeper. However, after a VAR review, Wong Wai was adjudged to be offside in the build-up, ruling out the goal. The first half concluded with Lee Man maintaining their slender 1:0 lead.
The second half saw Lee Man's offensive intensity wane slightly, which Sham Shui Po capitalized on by regaining some attacking momentum, and they restored parity in the 53rd minute. Pang Ching Yeung Jethro lofted a long ball into the penalty area from the right flank, with Nicholas Medeiros controlling the ball with his chest before volleying into the net, drawing Sham Shui Po level at 1:1.
In response, Lee Man immediately ramped up their offensive pressure. Everton Camargo, from a tight angle on the right, unleashed a left-footed shot, which was denied by the goalkeeper's acrobatic save.
The invigorated Sham Shui Po swiftly retaliated, with Ngan Cheuk Pan connecting with Dunga's head-pass and attempting a shot on goal, but his effort was thwarted by the timely intervention of the goalkeeper.
In the 73rd minute, the resurgent Sham Shui Po took the lead. Ngan Cheuk Pan initiated a precise long pass, which was met by Wong Ching Yeung Timothy who supplied a cross from the right. Nicholas Medeiros's shot deflected towards the far post, and Dunga added the finishing touch in front of the goal, nudging Sham Shui Po ahead at 2:1.
Despite Lee Man's relentless attacking efforts in the closing stages of the match, they failed to penetrate Sham Shui Po's stringent defense to create substantial scoring opportunities.
Finally, Sham Shui Po successfully defended their lead until the final whistle, clinching a 2:1 victory over Lee Man and securing their place in the FA Cup final.