In a thrilling BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League encounter at Tai Po Sports Ground on Monday (May 5), Tai Po and Kwoon Chung Southern shared the spoils in an action-packed 2:2 draw, with both sides settling for a point apiece.
Tai Po stormed out of the blocks, breaking the deadlock after just 120 seconds when Lee Ka Ho whipped in a dangerous free kick from the right flank, finding Gabriel Roberto who made no mistake with a clinical header at the near post to put Tai Po 1:0 ahead.
The momentum stayed with Tai Po as they nearly doubled their advantage in the 4th minute. Patrick Peral's pinpoint corner delivery from the left found Lucas Da Silva unmarked, but his powerful header was brilliantly tipped onto the woodwork by the goalkeeper in a moment of goalkeeping excellence.
After a spell of midfield battle with both sides canceling each other out, Tai Po carved out another gilt-edged opportunity in the 39th minute. Patrick Peral's in-swinging corner from the right found Lucas Da Silva once again, but lady luck wasn't on his side as his header crashed against the crossbar.
The first half concluded with Tai Po in the ascendancy, as Lee Ka Ho's precise cross found Patrick Peral in space, whose first-time effort fell kindly to Lucas Da Silva, but the striker's attempt was expertly smothered by the alert goalkeeper.
At the interval, Tai Po's slender one-goal advantage remained intact.
The second period began with Tai Po maintaining their territorial dominance. The 53rd minute saw Lucas Da Silva showcase his individual brilliance, dancing past his marker on the right before unleashing a left-footed drive that the goalkeeper did well to parry away.
Minutes later, a moment of attacking flair nearly produced a spectacular goal. Kevin Padilla's purposeful run down the right created space for Lucas Da Silva, whose acrobatic overhead kick was somehow kept out by the goalkeeper, before Michel Renner's thunderous follow-up strike from an acute angle rattled the crossbar.
The tide turned in the 68th minute when Kwoon Chung Southern was awarded a spot-kick after Remi Dujardin's clumsy challenge on Gregory Rocha in the box. Stefan Pereira stepped up and dispatched the penalty with precision to restore parity.
Kwoon Chung Southern completed their comeback in the 81st minute through a well-worked set-piece routine. Sasaki Shu's delicately flighted free kick from the left found Mahama Awal, who cleverly nodded across goal for the unmarked Wong Ho Yin to power home a header, making it 2:1.
With time running out, Tai Po's resilience paid off as they snatched a dramatic equalizer in the 90th minute. Lee Ka Ho's expertly delivered free kick found Chung Wai Keung, who rose highest to plant a header into the net, sending the home supporters into raptures.
Deep into stoppage time, Tai Po nearly completed their own comeback when Chung Wai Keung's teasing cross from the left was only partially cleared, falling to Patrick Peral whose goal-bound effort was heroically blocked by the desperate Kwoon Chung Southern defense.
After an enthralling ninety minutes of end-to-end action, honors were even as both Tai Po and Kwoon Chung Southern had to settle for a point in this pulsating 2:2 draw.