In a tightly-contested BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League encounter at Tsing Yi Sports Ground on Sunday (May 4), Kitchee edged past BC Rangers with a solitary goal, despite finishing the match with ten men after a late dismissal.
The opening period was characterized by cautious football from both sides, with clear-cut chances at a premium. Kitchee's first meaningful attack saw Matheus Dantas deliver an incisive long-range pass, allowing striker Sherzod Temirov to attempt an audacious chip, only to be denied by the alert goalkeeper.
Kitchee continued to probe, and in the 26th minute, Fernando Augusto's sweetly-struck free-kick from distance forced the goalkeeper into a smart save, pushing the ball behind for a corner.
BC Rangers gradually grew into the game, with Guilherme Bitencourt showing his defensive prowess by intercepting a Kitchee pass before releasing a perfectly weighted through ball. Lau Chi Lok found himself in a promising position but couldn't direct his effort on target from an acute angle.
Drama ensued moments later when BC Rangers thought they had won a spot-kick. Lau Chi Lok dispossessed Matheus Dantas before going to ground in the penalty area. Though the referee initially awarded a penalty, VAR intervention reversed the decision.
The first half's closing stages saw BC Rangers come agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock. Lau Chi Lok, proving to be a constant threat, collected Maxwell Anash's precise pass and showed excellent footwork to create space, but his powerful drive was magnificently parried by the goalkeeper.
Both sides headed into the interval deadlocked at 0:0, with neither able to find the breakthrough in a tactical first half.
The second period sparked into life with both teams adopting a more adventurous approach. BC Rangers nearly drew first blood in the 58th minute when Barak Braunshtain, showcasing excellent technique, unleashed a venomous strike from a difficult angle, forcing another impressive save from the goalkeeper.
Kitchee responded through their own attacking movement, as Walter Junior's pinpoint cross found the onrushing Ngan Cheuk Pan, whose diving header was expertly tipped away by the goalkeeper.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 64th minute through a well-worked Kitchee move. Chen Ngo Hin's dangerous delivery caused havoc in the BC Rangers defense, and although Walter Junior's initial attempt was saved, Chen Ngo Hin's persistence paid off as his subsequent cross was converted by the clinical Sherzod Temirov from close range, making it 1:0.
Kitchee nearly doubled their advantage when Ruslan Mingazov's precise cross picked out the unmarked Luis Machado, but the goalkeeper continued his heroic performance with another crucial save to deny the striker's first-time effort.
Kitchee maintained their attacking momentum, with Walter Junior testing the goalkeeper from Luis Machado's excellent wing play, while Sherzod Temirov's set-piece expertise was once again thwarted by the outstanding BC Rangers goalkeeper.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 86th minute when Kitchee were reduced to ten men. Defender Leon Jones received his marching orders for a professional foul on the breaking Lau Chi Lok, but BC Rangers couldn't capitalize on their numerical advantage in the closing stages.
The final whistle confirmed Kitchee's hard-fought 1:0 victory, claiming all three points.