Kitchee secured their first victory of the AFC Champions League Two campaign with a dramatic 2-1 win over Cambodian side Phnom Penh Crown at Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday.
A 91st-minute dynamic header from substitute Kendy ensured the Hong Kong side avenged their 2-0 defeat in Phnom Penh just a week prior, keeping their hopes of progressing from the group stage alive.
Early onslaught pays off
Looking to bounce back from last week's setback, Kitchee head coach Iñigo Calderón reshuffled his defensive line, deploying Callum Beattie in central defence alongside Kam Chi-kin, while dynamic winger Jordan Lam shifted to left-back.
The tactical adjustments yielded immediate dividends. With just 70 seconds on the clock, Everton Camargo showcased brilliant individual skill on the right flank, dancing past two defenders along the byline before delivering a pinpoint cross for Ruslan Mingazov to poke home from close range.
Kitchee continued to dictate the tempo. Junior saw his curled effort palmed away after seven minutes, before Camargo was denied by the opposition goalkeeper following a clever through ball from Adrián Revilla.
The hosts suffered a setback midway through the half when goalscorer Mingazov was forced off through injury, replaced by the returning Aarón Rey. However, the momentum stayed with Kitchee, and Phnom Penh Crown's mountain became steeper just before the interval when they were reduced to ten men following a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Yumemi Kanda.
Late drama at Mong Kok
Despite the numerical advantage, Kitchee struggled to put the game to bed in the second half. Kanda fired narrowly over from the edge of the box in the 51st minute, while Lam wasted a golden opportunity on the counter-attack, seeing his angled drive saved in the 69th minute.
As the hosts grew complacent, the ten men of Phnom Penh Crown began to apply sustained pressure and stunned the home crowd in the 85th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to restore parity.
With their qualification hopes hanging by a thread, Kitchee threw everything forward in standard grandstand fashion. The persistence paid off one minute into stoppage time when Revilla’s deep cross from the left found Kendy, who directed a bouncing header past the despairing goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations in the stands.