Sapling Cup final: Southern thump shellshocked Lee Man for shock triumph
Southern delivered an extraordinary Sapling Cup final performance to beat shellshocked Lee Man 4-0 and win the second trophy of the club's near-quarter-century history.
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South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Tai Po win Hong Kong Premier League after Lee Man's 15 minutes of madness
Tai Po have won the Hong Kong Premier League in sensational fashion after they swept aside North District 3-1, while 10-man Lee Man crashed to a shock 3-0 defeat by the outstanding BC Rangers. Lee Man had appeared in pole position to claim their second straight title when they began the final day with a one-point advantage over the district club. But there was a dramatic twist when Guilherme Biteco, the midfielder on loan at Rangers from Tai Po, squirmed a 74th-minute shot through the weak resistance of Chan Ka-ho. With five minutes remaining, Luizinho slid in Lau Chi-lok, who kept his composure to slip a low finish across Lee Man No 1 Chan. Lau struck again in similar fashion after 89 minutes, sweeping home first time from a Barak Braunshtain pass. Lee Man, who twice hit the woodwork in the first half, were dealt a huge blow when left-back Ryoya Tachibana collected his second yellow card for a cynical trip on Luizinho after 51 minutes. Tai Po, meanwhile, were 3-0 in front after an hour against North District, following a double for Lucas Silva, either side of Patrick Valverde's effort late in the first half.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Tai Po win Hong Kong Premier League after Lee Man's 15 minutes of madness
Tai Po have won the Hong Kong Premier League in sensational fashion after they swept aside North District 3-1, while 10-man Lee Man crashed to a shock 3-0 defeat by the outstanding BC Rangers. Lee Man had appeared in pole position to claim their second straight title when they began the final day with a one-point advantage over the district club. But there was a dramatic twist when Guilherme Biteco, the midfielder on loan at Rangers from Tai Po, squirmed a 74th-minute shot through the weak resistance of Chan Ka-ho. With five minutes remaining, Luizinho slid in Lau Chi-lok, who kept his composure to slip a low finish across Lee Man No 1 Chan. Lau struck again in similar fashion after 89 minutes, sweeping home first time from a Barak Braunshtain pass. Lee Man, who twice hit the woodwork in the first half, were dealt a huge blow when left-back Ryoya Tachibana collected his second yellow card for a cynical trip on Luizinho after 51 minutes. Tai Po, meanwhile, were 3-0 in front after an hour against North District, following a double for Lucas Silva, either side of Patrick Valverde's effort late in the first half.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Dutch footballer in Hong Kong laments city's ‘bad' league – but wants to stay
Lee Man midfielder Mitchel Paulissen has indicated he wants to extend his stint in Hong Kong – despite saying the local Premier League serves up slow football, poor players and substandard pitches. Advertisement The Dutchman is closing in on his second league title in as many seasons with Lee Man and was overcome with emotion last Sunday after a 101st-minute winner at Kowloon City kept them on course to retain their crown. But he said the city had yet to see the best of him since he arrived two summers ago, having spent his career up to then in the Netherlands' top two divisions. 'I've not reached anywhere close to my level here,' the 32-year-old said. 'A lot of things make it hard: the pitches, the weather, the teams you play against – you cannot call it football. 'But I hope I can win a second league title. I've played almost every game, which shows I've made a good contribution to the team. Mitchel Paulissen (second from left) leaps during January's Senior Shield final against Eastern. Photo: Elson Li 'For 15 years, I played with a structure, with a passing game. Here, it is totally different; you need to survive on your own. But I survived.'
