Eastern met Sham Shui Po at Mongkok Stadium on Sat afternoon for the FA Cup final of the day. Eastern defected Sham Shui Po by 3:2 and became the 2023-24 FA Cup Champion.
Eastern met Sham Shui Po at Mongkok Stadium on Sat afternoon for the FA Cup final of the day. Eastern defected Sham Shui Po by 3:2 and became the 2023-24 FA Cup Champion.
Eastern started the match with an aggressive offensive strategy. In the 7th minute, a right-wing cross from Ma Hei Wai was not cleared by Sham Shui Po's defense, resulting in Macos Gondra's close-range header being saved by the goalkeeper.
Eastern continued to dominate the game in the 13th minute with another opportunity. Ma Hei Wai received a pass from Yu Joy Yin Jesse on the right, shook off two defenders within the penalty area, and took a shot, which was saved by the goalkeeper.
Eastern showed their control over the match yet again in the 24th minute with another offensive play. Calum Hall delivered a cross from the right, but Marcos Gondra, at the far post, missed the target with his header.
While Sham Shui Po struggled to create much chances in the first half, their solid defense kept them in the game. Eastern launched a long pass into the penalty area in the 34th minute, with Wong Tsz Ho's header to Marcos Gondra. But his powerful shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Before the end of the first half, Sham Shui Po had their own chance. Wellingsson De Souza received a cross from the right, made a turn on the edge of the penalty area and shot, but it lacked power and was collected by the goalkeeper easily. The first half ended in a 1:1 draw.
In the second half, Eastern maintained control, with Ma Hei Wai's long shot veering over the goal, followed by Daniel Vera's header from a free-kick delivery by Yu Joy Yin Jesse, which was also saved by the goalkeeper.
Sham Shui Po turned the tide in the 66th minute with a solid chance. Ngan Cheuk Pan delivered a free-kick delivery into the penalty area, and Singh Kiranbir's header was deflected out by the goalkeeper’s one-hand save.
Eastern continued to generate scoring opportunities thereafter. Leon Jones's cross into the penalty area from the right led to Baffoe Noah's close-range shot being saved by the goalkeeper once again.
In the final moments of the game, Eastern sent the ball into the net with Yu Joy Yin Jesse close-range shot after receiving a right pass from Ma Hei Wai. However, after a VAR review, it was confirmed that a Eastern player had been offside, rendering the goal invalid. The match ended with a 0:0 draw, leading to an extra-time showdown.
The extra-time began with Sham Shui Po almost scoring. Singh Kiranbir sent a cross from the right, Wellingsson De Souza connected with Dunga’s head pass and headed the ball towards goal, only to see his effort being saved by the goalkeeper's dive.
Eastern finally broke the deadlock in the 99th minute with Leung Kwun Chung's corner kick from the left, and Tamirlan Kozubaev's header found the net, putting Eastern ahead 1:0.
Eastern extended their lead three minutes later when Baffoe Noah received a header pass from Manuel Rodriguez and stormed into the box, beating the goalkeeper and slotting it into an open net, doubling their lead to 2:0.
However, Sham Shui Po, despite being at a disadvantage, showed resilience. Within a mere minute, they retaliated. Ngan Cheuk Pan stormed into the penalty area despite being heavily marked, and managed to feed the ball to Nicholas. Nicholas then fired a shot from close range, narrowing the score gap to 1:2.
Late in the first half of extra time, Sham Shui Po staged a dramatic equalizer. Ngan Cheuk Pan executed a precise free kick into the penalty area from the right, setting up for Dunga who sent the ball into the net with a decisive header. This leveled the score at 2:2, intensifying the thrill of the match.
In the second half of extra time, Eastern held their offensive stance. However, Ng Yu Hei's powerful strike from outside the penalty area was impressively saved by the goalkeeper.
At the 115-minute mark, Eastern once again seized the lead. Baffoe Noah, receiving a pass from Manuel Rodriguez on the right, made a spectacular, diving shot near the goal, catapulting Eastern into a 3:2 lead.
In the final moments of the match, Sham Shui Po had a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, the unmarked Wong Chit Sum Sherman failed to muster sufficient power in his shot within the penalty area after receiving a pass from Dunga. Yapp Hung Fai managed to capture the ball, denying Sham Shui Po a last-minute equalizer.
Finally, Eastern emerged victorious, defeating Sham Shui Po with a narrow 3:2 win, and proudly claimed the title of FA Cup champions.