Lee Man eliminated Yuen Long from the Senior Shield last weekend. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

Approaching the third round of fixtures, the coming weekend will see just three matches in the Hong Kong Premier League, as two encounters have been postponed. New dates for the games between R&F and Happy Valley, as well as Lee Man and Kitchee have yet to be announced. 

Nonetheless, the league thus far has offered some exciting results, which promise that the championship may be once again a very close affair. After two rounds, Eastern are the only team with the maximum of six points and find themselves on top of the table, followed by Lee Man, Southern and Kitchee with four points each. R&F are currently on fifth, after losing 0-4 to Eastern. The only team without a single point is Rangers, who are going to face a long and excruciating relegation fight this season. 

While the Hong Kong Jockey Club decided to reschedule the Community Cup between Tai Po and Kitchee last weekend, the scheduled preliminary round for the Senior Shield competition went ahead as planned. Happy Valley succumbed to a 0-1 defeat against Pegasus on Sept 21, after Valley’s Manu Gavilan missed the chance to equalize in the 87th minute, when Pegasus goalkeeper Leung Hing-kit saved his attempt from the penalty spot. 

On the same day, Lee Man celebrated a 3-0 victory over Yuen Long. French forward Michael N’dri scored another two goals, increasing his tally to six goals across all competitions, which puts him comfortably on top of the scorer list. 

Following the two preliminary games, the fixtures for the Senior Shield quarter finals are also finalized. On Nov 9, R&F will lock horns with Pegasus, and Eastern will square off with Southern. Kitchee and Lee Man face each other at Yuen Long Stadium, while Tai Po will challenge Rangers in Mong Kok the following day. 

Until then, however, the clubs will put all their focus on the league, including the upcoming three matches. 

Defender Jean-Jacques Kilama just joined Rangers. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

PEGASUS vs RANGERS, Premier League, Hong Kong Stadium, Sat Sep 28, 2:30 pm

On Saturday afternoon, Pegasus will host their second home game at Hong Kong Stadium, and it may not be the best fixture to boost their attendance. Their previous match against Tai Po was only witnessed by 635 people, and the coming encounter with Rangers will not be the most popular crowd pleaser as well. Nonetheless, it will be a very important opportunity for the Flying Horsemen to collect some points in the league, where they are currently on seventh with a single point in two games. Despite their humble start into the championship, new striker Charles Lokolingoy has looked like a very promising signing and should become a valuable asset this season. Meanwhile, Rangers are still without a point in the league, and a potential success in the Sapling Cup was recently denied by their very own lack of professionalism. When the group stage game against Eastern was about to end in a 1-1 draw, Rangers replaced one of their U22 players with a regular player and breached the tournament rules, which require every team to have at least three U22 players on the pitch at any time. The HKFA has referred the matter to the Disciplinary Committee and it is likely that Eastern will be awarded a 3-0 win instead. 

Pegasus advance to the quarter finals of the Senior Shield after beating Happy Valley. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

SOUTHERN vs YUEN LONG, Premier League, Mong Kok Stadium, Sep 29, 2:30 pm

On Sunday, Southern District and Yuen Long will play their district derby in the unusual environment of Mong Kok. Due to maintenance of Aberdeen Sports Ground this season, Southern are playing all their home games in Kowloon instead, sharing the same ground with Kitchee. Of course, these two district teams are facing very different expectations. Southern have been tipped once again as title contenders, though their ambitions suffered a major blow last round when their encounter with Lee Man ended in a 2-2 draw. For Yuen Long, the situation is almost reverse. They may not have the best squad on paper, but they have already caused a major upset against Kitchee. The Bluewaves were supposed to cruise to another easy win against the Tangerines, but eventually had to settle with a 2-2 draw. Following the tradition of district derbies, fans can look forward to a very physical and entertaining game between Southern and Yuen Long this weekend. 

EASTERN vs TAI PO, Premier League, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Sep 29, 5:30 pm

The last match of the shortened third round will see a relatively awkward encounter between Eastern and Tai Po in Tseung Kwan O. Despite Tai Po being the reigning champions, both coach and key players have all transferred to Eastern over the summer, which sent shockwaves through the New Territories. And so far, it is indeed Eastern who present themselves like a proper champions side, especially after beating title rivals R&F 0-4 in Guangzhou earlier in September. 

Tai Po, meanwhile, were only able to salvage a single point so far and it would not come as a big surprise if the team will soon join the relegation battle. With striker Kim Minki suspended, the Greens have currently only two foreign players at their disposal, Michel Lugo and Dudu. This may not be enough to cause an upset against the new title favourites, who look confident as ever under the new regime of Lee Chi-kin.