In an intense clash at Mong Kok Stadium, Eastern took on Sham Shui Po in the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League fixture. Eastern staged a remarkable comeback, overturning a 0:1 deficit to secure a 2:1 victory. Ma Hei Wai emerged as the hero of the match, scoring the decisive goal in the second half and leading Eastern to claim all three points.
Eastern started the game aggressively and went knocking on Sham Shui Po’s door on the 8th minute.Ryu Ji Seong cut inside after connecting with a pass from Calum Renwick and unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal which narrowly missed the target.
However, Sham Shui Po was the team to take the lead of the game by a counter attack. On the 14th minute, Nicolas made a blistering run down the left wing, penetrating into the penalty area and unleashing a powerful strike into the far post, breaking the deadlock in favor of the away side.
Eastern tried to mout a comeback but they failed to produce solid scoring chances until 35th minute.Calum Renwick Hall delivered a precise cross from the right flank after a short-corner.
The turning point came in the 35th minute when Eastern capitalized on a corner kick. Haar delivered a precise cross from the right flank.Baffoe,making his debut for Eastern, expertly nodded the ball into the back of the net. This goal not only marked Bakour's first local league goal since joining Eastern but also leveled the score at 1-1 just before halftime.
Both teams relentlessly pushed for a goal in the second half. It was Sham Shui Po's Ngan Cheuk Pan who had the first opportunity, unleashing a powerful free-kick from 30 yards out, only to see it narrowly miss the target.
It was Eastern’s turn on the 68th minute,Gondra Marcos connected with Baffoe's cross and unleashed a powerful header towards the goal, only to be denied by the goalkeeper.Ma Hei Wai quickly pounced on the rebound and headed towards the net. Despite the goalkeeper's valiant effort to save it once again, the referee, after consulting VAR, confirmed that the ball had indeed crossed the white line, thus awarding the goal to Eastern. This pivotal moment allowed Eastern to surge ahead with a 2-1 lead.
In the stoppage time of the game, Eastern had another opportunity to extend their lead. Gao Ming Ho, displaying his lightning-fast pace on the right flank, shook off his markers and delivered a tantalizing cross into the box.But Baffoe failed to generate enough power for his close-range under the pressure of defender. Nevertheless, Eastern emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sham Shui Po, clinching all three valuable points.