Kitchee keeps unbeaten streak alive with sensation

Kitchee, unbeaten in the premier league this season, squared off against another undefeated side Wofoo Taipo on Saturday afternoon at home. Under the tremendous support from the home fans, the Blues showed great character, came from behind and snatched a thrilling 2:1 victory over the visitors, taking home all three points in the process. Kitchee took the game straight to Wofoo Taipo after the first whistle. Unfortunately, early efforts from Lucas Da Silva and Krisztian Vadocz failed to yield Kitchee the opening goal. The Blues fell behind somewhat surprisingly midway in the first half, when Luis Nunes capitalized on a goal-mouth scramble and fired the ball home, putting Wofoo Taipo in front all the way until the break. Kitchee stormed out of the gate in the second half pressing for the equalizer and nearly found it, with chances from Lucas Da Silva came tantalizingly close to finding the back of the opponent’s net. The Blues then pressed the button and sent substitute Matthew Lam on, hoping to further ignite the Kitchee attack. The move paid immediate dividends, as Lam’s swirling corner-kick was headed home by Krisztian Vadocz, tying the game at 1:1. The home side created several more chances afterwards but were all denied by Wofoo Taipo goalkeeper Tsang Man-fai, who largely stood on his head. Late in the game, Matthew Lam delivered yet another great cross to the box and was nodded home by an opportunistic Alessandro Leonardo, making it 2:1 in the process and eventually sealing Kitchee’s victory over Wofoo Taipo. Alessandro Leonardo, who netted the match-winner for Kitchee, was overjoyed to lead his side to a memorable, come-from-behind victory. “We knew Wofoo Taipo would be a tough opponent to play against and they were exactly that. We made a mistake in the second half and allowed the opponent to score. But we did not give up in the second half and to come from behind to win the game, it was really exciting,” claimed the lanky striker. “These three points are very important to our fight for the premier league title. I will keep working hard and hopefully, play my part in helping the team to retain the premier league title.” Midfielder Fernando Pedreira attributes Kitchee’s ability to stay under control after conceding first as the key to winning the game. “Despite falling behind in the first half, we reminded each other during the interval to keep playing the Kitchee way and to seize our opportunity in front of the opposing goal,” explained the Kitchee schemer. “Both teams fought tooth-and-nail throughout the game, hoping to seek a higher position in the premier league standing and that contributed to a wildly entertaining game. For me personally, I really enjoy playing in such a thrilling game and I believe this is exactly what the premier league needs.”