Lee Man host Kowloon City at Tseung Kwan O Sports Grounds on Saturday afternoon for the BOC Life Hong Kong League fixture of the day. Lee Man defeated Kowloon City by 3:1
The opening exchanges saw both sides pressing high, with Lee Man carving out the first clear-cut chance. Just two minutes in, Tachibana Ryoya whipped in a dangerous cross from the left flank, finding Everton Camargo whose fierce drive from an acute angle was parried away by the alert Kowloon City goalkeeper. The visitors responded swiftly, with Lee Keun Ho cutting inside from the left and unleashing a long-range effort that whistled past the upright.
Lee Man continued to pile on the pressure, and on the 7-minute mark, they came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock. Everton Camargo's pinpoint cross from the right found Henri Anier unmarked in the box, but his powerful left-footed volley cannoned off the crossbar, much to the relief of the Kowloon City defense.
The home side's dominance persisted, with Wong Wai testing the keeper from distance after latching onto Tachibana Ryoya's precise long ball. Kowloon City, however, showed they were still in the contest when Lee Keun Ho's speculative effort from Yu Pui Hong's layoff narrowly missed the target.
As the first half drew to a close, Lee Man squandered two gilt-edged opportunities. First, Jiloan Hamad's close-range effort from Everton Camargo's delivery was smothered by the keeper, and then Samuel Rosa's acrobatic overhead kick from a left-wing cross sailed over the bar, leaving the scores level at the interval.
The second half exploded into life when Kowloon City drew first blood in the 52nd minute. A flowing move saw Lam Hok Hei release Yu Pui Hong down the left, whose inch-perfect cross found the unmarked Hui Ka Lok. He made no mistake, blasting the ball home emphatically to give the visitors a shock lead.
Lee Man's response was swift and decisive. Just four minutes later, Everton Camargo's inswinging corner caused havoc in the Kowloon City box, and Luis Eduardo was on hand to bundle the ball home from close range, restoring parity.
Both sides traded blows as they sought the crucial go-ahead goal. Everton Camargo's curling effort from the edge of the box was expertly tipped over by the goalkeeper, while at the other end, Diego Eli's powerful header from a right-wing cross was brilliantly kept out by the Lee Man goalkeeper.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 72nd minute when Lee Man's persistence paid off. A moment of magic from Samuel Rosa unlocked the Kowloon City defense, and Everton Caamargo was on hand to slot home coolly, sending the home fans into raptures.
Lee Man continued to press for the killer blow, with Simionato Paulo Sergio's thunderous drive from Everton Camargo's cutback beating the keeper but not Tsang Ka Chun, who produced a goal-line clearance to keep Kowloon City in the game.
The result was put beyond doubt in the 83rd minute when Samuel Rosa capped off a fine individual performance. Receiving the ball from Simionato Paulo Sergio on the edge of the area, he unleashed a sublime left-footed strike that nestled in the bottom corner, leaving the keeper with no chance.
As the final whistle blew, Lee Man emerged victorious with a 3:1 scoreline, completing a stunning turnaround and securing a crucial three points.