In an exhilarating showdown at Tsing Yi Northeast Park on Tuesday, Kitchee displayed an impressive performance to outclass Lucky Mile with a 5:2 victory in the third-place play-off of the Jockey Club Women's Youth Football League (U18) FA Cup.
With a breezy start, Kitchee quickly seized control of the game and made a statement with a stunning long-range strike from Fung Ting Yin, breaking the deadlock and establishing a 1:0 lead. The 15-minute mark saw Yullia Ota of Kitchee narrowly miss adding to their tally, with a brilliant one-on-one opportunity thwarted by an alert save from Lucky Mile's goalkeeper, Ng Tsz Ling Trinity. Kitchee's relentless offensive pressure continued, with Yullia Ota notably firing a powerful shot from the penalty area's edge at the 21-minute mark, only to be denied by the goalkeeper. Lucky Mile showed signs of fight at the 28-minute mark, with Ramachandran Tara Lakshmi attempting a strike within the penalty area after a weak clearance from the opponents, however, the shot failed to find the target. Dominating the proceedings, Kitchee extended their lead at the 36th minute. A well-struck corner from Tang Tsz Wan Meadow created havoc in Lucky Mile's defense, providing Chan Hoi Ching with the chance to fire home a decisive left-footed shot, doubling Kitchee's lead to 2:0. Lucky Mile rallied towards the end of the first half, with Moi Lei Ngai's long-range effort narrowly going wide, followed by Sin Ka Wei Melanie's weak shot from a corner being comfortably collected by Kitchee's goalkeeper, Li Sze Ying. The half-time whistle saw Kitchee leading 2:0.
As the second half commenced, Lucky Mile had the first shot on goal, with Moi Lei Ngai's free-kick being safely gathered by the goalkeeper. Kitchee, maintaining their attacking momentum, created a chance at the 56th minute mark, with Tsz Long Ching's shot being cleared just before crossing the line by Lucky Mile defender. The 64th minute saw Kitchee further solidify their lead. Hung Wing Tung Xyza's free-kick ricocheted off the crossbar and then hit the goalkeeper before finding the back of the net, extending Kitchee's lead to an imposing 3:0. Down but not out, Lucky Mile rallied and clawed one back at the 74th minute. Ng Mikayla Megan showcased a brilliant solo effort, skillfully maneuvering past three opponents before calmly slotting home, reducing the deficit to 1:3. Within a minute, Lucky Mile managed to further narrow down the gap to 3:2, with Jakeway Ava-rose connecting with a long pass before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from the penalty area's edge, rekindling hope for the team. However, Kitchee quickly doused the resurgence. A misfortune fell upon Lucky Mile at the 85th minute when an own goal by Sin Ka Wei Melanie, following a free kick from Kitchee, incremented Kitchee's lead to 4:2. In the closing stages of the match, at the 87th minute, a spectacular strike from Hung Wing Tung Xyza of Kitchee flew into the top right corner, confirming the victory for Kitchee.
The final whistle marked a triumphant 5:2 victory for Kitchee over Lucky Mile, securing them the third place in the Jockey Club Women's Youth Football League (U18) FA Cup.





