Tai Po met HK U23 at Tai Po Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon for the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League of the day. Tai Po beat HK U23 by 6:0.
Right from the start, Tai Po displayed their attacking prowess as they opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Lucas Da Silva intercepted a pass in the opponent's half and quickly fed the ball to Bitencourt Da Silva, who unleashed a powerful 25-yard strike that found the back of the net, giving Tai Po a well-deserved 1:0 lead.
Tai Po continued to dominate the proceedings and created several scoring opportunities. In the 16th minute, Lucas Da Silva showcased his acrobatic skills with an audacious attempt that rattled the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
Their relentless pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Lucas Da Silva capitalized on a pinpoint head pass from Michel Renner, calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to double Tai Po's advantage to 2:0.
Lucas Da Silva remained a constant threat throughout the match and came close to scoring again in the 25th minute, as he connected with Bitencourt Da Silva's free-kick delivery, only to be denied by a diving save from the goalkeeper.
However, Lucas Da Silva wasn't to be denied for long. In the 43rd minute, he completed his brace by nodding in a precise cross from Estevez Emilio, taking advantage of lax defending in the penalty area to make it 3:0 in favor of Tai Po.
Just before the halftime whistle, HK U23 managed to conjure a dangerous attack. Tang In Chim received a pass on the right flank and delivered a teasing cross, but Lam Chi Fung's powerful strike was thwarted by the agile Tai Po goalkeeper. As a result, Tai Po maintained their commanding 3:0 lead heading into the break.
The second half saw Tai Po dictating the tempo and asserting their control over the match. In the 49th minute, Lucas Da Silva showcased his playmaking abilities once again, leaving his marker behind on the right wing before delivering a pinpoint cross for Bitencourt Da Silva to effortlessly head the ball into the net, extending Tai Po's lead to 4:0.
HK U23 had occasional forays into Tai Po's half, but their attempts lacked precision and power. In the 55th minute, Lam Hok Hei seized upon a defensive error and teed up Ho Ka Chi at the edge of the penalty area. However, Ho's shot lacked the necessary venom and was comfortably collected by the Tai Po shot-stopper.
Tai Po, relentless in their pursuit of goals, continued to press forward. In the 61st minute, Fung Kwun Ming unleashed a thunderous long-range strike, forcing the goalkeeper into a spectacular diving save to deny Tai Po from extending their lead further.
However, Tai Po's persistence paid off in the 72nd minute. Lucas Da Silva, making intelligent runs, latched onto a perfectly weighted through pass from Chan Siu Kwan Philip and confidently drove into the penalty area. Although his initial shot was blocked by a defender, Michel Renner was quick to pounce on the loose ball, slotting it home to make it 5:0 in favor of Tai Po.
As the match approached its closing stages, HK U23 suffered another setback. Yim Kai Cheuk's attempted clearance inadvertently struck Cheng Chun Wang Ryan, resulting in an unfortunate own goal that stretched Tai Po's lead to an insurmountable 6:0.
With the final whistle, Tai Po emerged victorious, securing all three points in a resounding 6:0 triumph over HK U23.