Kitchee dropped their first points of the season after being held to a 0-0 draw by a resilient Eastern District side in the Jockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre on Wednesday night.
The match saw Kitchee field seven U-22 players, including goalkeeper Tuscany Shek, Liang Kui Chung, Yu Ching Wai, Yan Hei Yin, Li Siu Hin, Yiu Tsz Leong, and Cheung Yiu Hin, supplemented by U-18 prospects Fong Chun Kit, Pang Hing Lun, and Ma Lok Sephrey.
Kitchee looked dangerous early on when Yiu burst forward on a counter-attack, only to be brought down by an Eastern District defender just as he threatened to go clean through on goal.
As the match progressed, Eastern District grew into the game and created several promising openings after the interval. However, Kitchee goalkeeper Shek produced a string of crucial saves to keep the clean sheet intact.
Kitchee pushed for a late winner with long-range efforts from substitutes Lee Shing Chun Jayden and Cheung Yiu Hin, but both attempts were comfortably dealt with by the opposition goalkeeper.
Yiu had one final opportunity to snatch all three points late on, but he fired over from a semi-breakaway position as both sides settled for a share of the spoils.