On Sunday, I attended the sixth round of the Hong Kong Premier League — Kitchee vs. North District in Mong Kok. The match ended in a lively 3–3 draw.

Kitchee are the most decorated of the current Premier League clubs. Founded in 1931, they’ve won the Hong Kong championship twelve times — more than anyone except South China (now playing in the First Division with 41 titles). In the last two seasons, Kitchee finished fourth, well below their ambitions. So North District were clear underdogs.

The two sides had already met this season: a month ago, North District beat Kitchee 3–2 in the Senior Shield quarterfinal — a cup competition among Premier League teams.

The match was held at Mong Kok Stadium. Police were patrolling the nearby streets, and a cordon was set up outside the ground. Fans were searched before entering — unusual for Premier League matches, at least compared to other venues (in Sheung Shui, Tai Po, or Sham Shui Po nobody gets searched). The check wasn’t exactly thorough: I brought in a can of Guinness in the pockets of my shorts I’d bought during halftime at the nearest 7-Eleven, having shown the steward my empty backpack.

Unlike most other Premier League grounds, Mong Kok Stadium is a proper football stadium — no running track, and stands running all around the pitch. I watched the match from behind the goal, the best place to observe players’ movements and defensive transitions.

Kitchee started on the front foot. They created several chances from wide attacks but lacked accuracy in finishing. Once the ball did end up in the North District net, but Juninho’s goal was ruled offside.

In the 20th minute the hosts finally took the lead: after Yumemi Kanda’s free kick, the ball deflected off North District’s own defender Chun Ho Wong and into the net. The visitors equalized almost immediately — also from a set piece — when Han’s cross was met by Samuel Granada. You can watch all the goals in the highlights by onTV Sports on YouTube.

The score didn’t change before halftime, though Kitchee had several clear chances to score. North District’s fullbacks, Chun Ho Wong and Han, often failed to close down their zones, where Juninho and Mingazov were breaking through again and again. In the 30th minute, North District midfielder Hiu Chung Law picked up an injury. After a short pause he came back on and seemed to have instructions from the coach to drop into the back line between Danilo Santos and Han when defending. That adjustment helped North District put out the fire on the left flank.

In the second half, North District grew more aggressive, and chances started appearing at both ends. The visitors were first to benefit from this open play in the 66th minute. Villalobos found himself unmarked in Kitchee’s holding zone, took a bold shot from 30 meters, and the ball went in off the post.

North District’s players — especially the foreign ones — celebrated wildly for a couple of minutes. I thought to myself that such celebrations rarely end well. And they didn’t: from the very next attack after the kickoff, Jordan Lam won an aerial duel against Chunho Wong and headed the ball home after Mingazov’s cross — the Turkmen winger had just outplayed both Han and Arboleda on the flank.

In the 78th minute, Kitchee took the lead. Han had pushed almost to the halfway line to press Mingazov. Kitchee’s center-back Riera lofted a pass to the corner of the box. Arboleda didn’t reach it; Jordan Lam controlled, turned, passed to Kendi, who played a one-touch ball into Mingazov’s run. Hon Ho Lee saved the first shot, but the ball bounced back to the Turkmen forward, and he turned it in while falling — 3:2.

In the last ten minutes, North District went forward. Kitchee dropped deep and looked for counters. In the 87th minute, North District won a free kick near the box. Veverton, Villalobos, and Han had a long discussion — and for good reason. Han touched the ball to Villalobos, who stopped it as if setting up Veverton’s run-up, but at the last moment rolled it slightly to the right. Han spun around, reached the ball in a couple of steps, and smashed it under the crossbar — straight down the middle; the ball flew just over Zhen Peng Wang’s gloves and into the net. A crazy goal.

Nothing remarkable happened in stoppage time. The match ended 3–3. Thanks to goal difference, North District went top of the table — though by points dropped, the team from Sheung Shui are only fifth, behind Kitchee, Rangers, Tai Po, and Lee Man.

A third of the first stage of the season is now behind. North District have earned four points in two matches against favorites (Sunday’s draw with Kitchee and a win over Tai Po in round two) and six points from two games against clear outsiders, Hong Kong FC. It looks like North District have a realistic chance at a top-five finish — and a place in the Championship Group after the split. If only they could put out the fire on the flanks.