In Sunday’s (January 25) Hong Kong Premier League fixture, Kitchee faced defending champions Tai Po at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. Bolstered by a hat-trick of assists from Jay Haddow and a brace from Yumemi Kanda, Kitchee secured a 4-2 victory.
This match marked Kitchee’s first home game at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in 13 years. Kitchee started strong, with Leandro Martínez’s header rattling the crossbar from a Haddow cross. Kitchee eventually broke the deadlock in the 11th minute with a well-worked team goal: Tan Chun Lok and Haddow combined on the right to find Júnior, who provided the layoff for Kanda to slot home the opener.
Following his role in the first goal, Haddow went on to register three assists within just 18 minutes. His first came in the 27th minute courtesy of a cross from the right for Júnior’s diving header at the back post. In the 42nd minute, he delivered a ball from the center into the box, allowing Kanda to beat the oncoming goalkeeper to make it 3-0. Just before the halftime whistle, Haddow received a clever pass from Júnior and crossed from the left for Adrián Revilla to flick home for a 4-0 lead.
Kitchee’s momentum slowed after the interval, and conceded two goals from corners in the 67th and 87th minutes. Despite this, Kitchee held on for a 4-2 win, successfully securing all three points on their return to Tseung Kwan O.