There were two important games on Friday night as the race for the division one title looks set to be a two-horse race. League leaders Gunners overcame Wanchai Spartans in an epic game at Kings Park, with a frantic opening 25 minutes seeing 5 goals and a missed penalty. Sparts were ahead early with a low drive from an indirect free kick from Ali Thompson, but he then missed a pen to make it 2-0. Kieran McBride danced down the right and clipped it onto the head of Matthew Logan to equalize before McBride was felled and scored with the resulting spot kick for USRC. Thompson got his second goal to make it 2-2 but then headed into his own goal to leave it 3-2 at the interval and an eventful for the Wanchai skipper. Gunners rode their luck second half as Sparts piled on the pressure but left back Jamie Hooper scored a break-away fourth. USRC played out the last 15 mins with 10 men but saw the game through. DBFC dropped more points with a depleted side against Scottish down in TKO, as the sides fought out a 0-0 draw. Scottish were more disappointed with the result given they created a host of first half opportunities, but neither side found the quality to break the deadlock.
On Saturday, Irish Harps left it late before defeating an unlucky Revolution 3-1, in a game which saw Revs have most of the chances but come away with nothing. With no goals before the break, Liam Grant’s bullet header was cancelled out by Revo’s Chris Marshall with a nice chip. Three minutes from the death, Ian Killoughery toed home from close range and went onto net his second moments later to keep Harps in the hunt at the top. KCC Cavs moved out of the relegation zone for the first time this season thanks to a resounding win on Monday night against Soho Spartans. KCC raced into a two-goal lead thanks to a well worked Gabriel Ho goal and goal from Alvin Shum Yu Wai. Sparts though fought back before HT and were level thanks to a header from Ronan Martin and a Daniel Bakenhaus tap in. Cavs turned it on after the break and went 3-2 up after a spot of penalty box pin ball and they carved Sparts up down the left twice in the last 15 mins netting two more as with Gabriel Ho, Stefan Antonic and William Smith scoring the goals.
Club Tropicana got a big win to avoid being dragged into the relegation dogfight to leave opponents Corinthians second bottom after a convincing 5-1 win. The goals flowed in the first half as Tropics raced 2-0 up inside 10 mins but Roy Man pulled one back. Two more goals went in before HT and an own goal in the second half, which was far more even, sealed the rout. Aside from the OG, Kyle Wagner got himself another couple with Benny Borsi and Nico Staffieri chipping in with one apiece. Unfortunately, J-Leaguers match with Goodfellas had to be re-scheduled due to a mix up with pitches.
HK Scottish Eagles showed that the division two championship is by no means a forgone conclusion as they brought high flying Krauts down to earth with a thump dishing out a comprehensive 5-0 drubbing. Sam Wolstenholme got a hat-trick in this one and he was accompanied on the scoresheet by Jack Boardman and Will Banner in a rare off day for the Germans. Wanchai Wolves look set to keep Krauts honest all the way to the end of the season closing the gap to five points after a closely fought 2-0 win at OSM. Alistar Kanaan and Nate Clark got the goals to leave OSM just outside the top 5 and ruing defensive errors and the fact they only really played well for the first ten minutes. Mes and Vikings could not be separated as the bottom two sides went hell for leather in a goalless draw that helps neither side. Vikings, keeper made a phenomenal point blank save towards the end to seal the point for his side- a momentous occasion as it was Vikings’ first point in a tough old season. Well done lads. San P’s leapfrogged KCC Royals into third place in a game that was settled by a late Stu Leigh wonder goal in an otherwise extremely close contest. Reid Bailey added a flattering second goal from a corner, and best wishes to the San P lad who went off in an ambulance with a nasty head knock, though it seems like he should be fine. Game of the day in div 2 saw Legal Head edge Samurai Blue though no details were provide, just that Limbu Rishi Hang (2) and Singh Manjot Gill were LH’s scorers while Jordan Baugh, Juan Carlos Matarrita, Vincent Saint-Aime and Thomas Bombardieri did the damage for Blue Sam.
The top two teams in division three both won as Dong Feng Express yet again had Li Yongsen to thank for another brace in a 2-0 win against Barbarians, who won the midfield battle but saw too many shots fail to hit the target. The goals for DF both came in the first 25 mins with neither side creating much thereafter. HKZJ also won to stay second thanks to two goals from Kong Wai Lo and a Yu Xing Cao single as BOC’s could only muster one through Mohamed Lemistef in reply in a 3-1 defeat. ZJ had gone one up before BOC equalized with a free kick. Two goals in the second half though sealed the win for the league’s pace setters. Bants finally remembered what it’s like to win a game of football thanks to Perry Sea’s solitary goal in their game against Dragon Valley. In a cagey game with chances few and far between, DV missed a penalty but admitted Bants deserved their win. Last but not least, Stray Dogs overcame the Shooters by the odd goal in three coming from a goal behind to win 2-1. Hisashi Takamura opened the scoring but Dogs turned it around and move just a point behind Shooters with a game in hand.
