In a pulsating JC Sapling Cup (Group A) encounter at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground on Saturday (March 22), Tai Po emerged victorious with a commanding 3:1 triumph over HKFC, securing all three points.

The match sparked into life early as Tai Po's Igor Sartori demonstrated his prowess, dispossessing an opponent before threading a precise pass to Chung Wai Keung, whose clinical left-footed effort whistled agonizingly wide of the upright in the 12th minute.

The attacking momentum continued to flow for Tai Po when Fung Koon Ming orchestrated a sublime through ball in the 15th minute, finding Krisna Korani in space, but his powerful drive from inside the box was expertly parried away by the alert goalkeeper.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 43rd minute when Tai Po capitalized on a defensive error, as Daniel Scally's handball in the area resulted in a spot-kick. Igor Sartori stepped up with confidence, dispatching the penalty with precision to give his side a deserved 1:0 advantage.

HKFC nearly responded before the interval, as Jack Bennie latched onto Marcus Mcmillan's pinpoint long ball, but his goal-bound effort from a promising position failed to trouble the scoreboard.

The teams headed into the dressing rooms with Tai Po holding a slender one-goal lead.

After the restart, Tai Po maintained their attacking intent, with Kevin Padilla cutting in from the right flank to unleash a curling effort that drifted narrowly wide in the 47th minute.

HKFC mounted a swift counter-attack, as Li Chung Hang's intelligent distribution found Daniel Scally, whose thunderous strike from the edge of the area was bravely blocked by Tai Po's resolute defense.

Tai Po doubled their advantage in the 74th minute through a well-worked set-piece. Igor Sartori's perfectly weighted corner kick found Kevin Moreno, who cleverly cushioned the ball to Michel Renner for a clinical close-range header, making it 2:0.

HKFC showed resilience and almost capitalized on a rare defensive lapse, as Jack Bennie broke through on goal, only to be denied by the goalkeeper's decisive rush off his line.

The attacking spectacle continued as Tai Po's Kevin Padilla showcased his individual brilliance, skillfully rounding the keeper after a mesmerizing run, but his elevated effort sailed over the crossbar.

HKFC managed to inject drama into the closing stages, with Auston Kranick's intelligent pass finding Nicholas Kedwards, who reduced the deficit with a composed right-footed finish in the 87th minute.

However, Tai Po sealed their victory in stoppage time with a moment of attacking excellence. Kevin Padilla, latching onto Igor Sartori's defense-splitting pass, demonstrated exceptional control to evade his marker before rifling an unstoppable shot into the far corner.

The final whistle confirmed Tai Po's impressive 3:1 victory, ensuring their progression to the JC Sapling Cup semifinals as Group A champions.

HKFC 1:3 Tai Po