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Paul McNamara

Kitchee christened their new Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground home with a 4-2 victory over listless defending champions Tai Po on Sunday, underlining their resurgence under Inigo Calderon and opening up a nine-point gap at the local league summit.
Not that Calderon, the head coach, was entirely happy after his side lost control of a game they led 4-0 at half-time.
“We’re feeling bad after we beat the champions, which is good because that’s the level we want to reach, but we relaxed in the second half and we can’t do that,” Calderon said.
The chain of events generated an element of deja vu for Tai Po, which had also fallen 4-0 behind in their 5-3 defeat by Lee Man last week. Lee Chi-kin, the head coach, pointed to a heavy schedule that has demanded Tai Po play nine matches more than Kitchee this season, but accepted that “this is professional football and we need to handle it”.
Kitchee were rampant in the opening 45 minutes, moving the ball quickly, creating angles and leaving their bedraggled opponents chasing shadows.
Jay Haddow had already crossed for Leandro Martinez to head against the bar when the right-back served up an 11th-minute delivery that Juninho cushioned at the back post. He fed Yumemi Kanda to plant a finish into the top-right corner.

Recently naturalised Hongkonger Haddow was having a field day, and he assisted in the next three goals.
Juninho met a menacing cross with a powerful diving header beyond Tse Ka-wing, then Tse ill-advisedly darted from his line to try to meet Haddow’s lofted ball from deep, only for Kanda to get the first touch and head into an unguarded net. Haddow popped up on the left to send in a thumping ball that Adrian Revilla stretched to turn home.
“Jay is a young player and has to keep learning … in the second half he started to lose concentration,” said Calderon, who expects to sign a versatile midfielder before the transfer window closes on Monday. “He didn’t play the last game, but he kept training the same way. It’s not about complaining; they just have to perform when they’re on the pitch.”
Kitchee spurned chances to make things ugly for Tai Po in the way that closest challengers Lee Man clinically thumped Eastern 8-1 on Saturday.
Paulinho Simionato, who had earlier been booked for scything down Haddow in frustration, headed home a Patrick Valverde corner. Valverde, brought on as Lee desperately reshuffled in the opening half, provided Tai Po’s second via a similar route, defender Marcao heading the corner back across goal for Michel Renner to convert.
Ridiculously, had Renner not hit the post and then the bar with one minute to play, Kitchee would have been left clinging on.
“We’ll be talking about how long we can stay at our high level,” Calderon said. “Our target is to control the whole 90 minutes.
“I was a bit worried about moving to Tseung Kwan O, but the quality of the pitch helped us. It was really important to win the first game, because we want to create a fortress.”
While Kitchee remain unbeaten after 12 matches, the result essentially killed off Tai Po’s vain title hopes.
Now 13 points behind their conquerors, they missed the pace and dynamism of eight-goal striker James Temelkovski. Lee said the Australian was not injured, but that he “needs players who play for the team … not for themselves”.
“Our relationship is still good, but he needs to know how to adapt,” Lee said.
“It’s a really difficult moment for us. The players are mentally and physically tired, but we have to face it.”


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Hong Kong giants Kitchee christen new home in style, leaving champions Tai Po in muddle

Kitchee’s Cheng Chin-lung (right) in a jostle for the ball with Tai Po’s Marcao at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground on Sunday. Photo: Edmond So

Kitchee’s Leandro Martinez (right) stretches for the ball against Tai Po’s Fernando. Photo: Edmond So

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Slovakian Veronika Leng (left) and Vietnam’s Hau Ha won Saturday’s Anta Guanjun Hong Kong 100 race while holding hands. Photo: Handout

Qin Guidu, who was second 12 months ago, won the men’s race in 8:52.36. Photo: Handout.

Mainland China athlete Chi Lingjie was next home after the joint winners. Photo: Handout

Dakota Jones finished fourth in the men’s race. Photo: Handout

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Sport

Football

Inigo Calderon’s team sprint into 4-0 half-time lead but are given scare as visitors belatedly come to life to score twice


Inigo Calderon’s team sprint into 4-0 half-time lead but are given scare as visitors belatedly come to life to score twice.


Hong Kong giants Kitchee christen new home in style, leaving champions Tai Po in muddle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Inigo Calderon’s team sprint into 4-0 half-time lead but are given scare as visitors belatedly come to life to score twice

Inigo Calderon’s team sprint into 4-0 half-time lead but are given scare as visitors belatedly come to life to score twice