Yesterday I attended Lee Man – North District in the ninth round of the Premier League at Mong Kok Stadium – the very same ground that hosted the match against Kitchee. It finished as a 2–2 draw. You can watch the goals and key moments in the onTV Sports highlights.

Lee Man were founded in 2017. The club have never played in the lower Hong Kong leagues because the owners bought them a Premier League place from the outset. In 2023–24 they won the league for the first time, and in 2022–23 and 2024–25 they finished runners-up. Once again, North District arrived as underdogs – all the more so given that a week earlier the teams had met in the League Cup, where North District lost 1–2 in extra time (I wasn’t at that match).

Early on, Lee Man controlled territory and produced a few half-chances. The Sheung Shui side made some changes on the left flank compared with recent matches: Chun Ho Wong started in defence, while Jahangir Khan played as a wide midfielder. However, midway through the first half Wong went off injured and was replaced by Vinicius Soares, who moved into midfield while Khan dropped into the back line.

In the latter stages of the first half North District took the initiative and scored twice. First, Samuel Granada finished off a cross from Bobby Singh on the right. Then he swept in a first-time effort from inside the box after an attack down the left.

In stoppage time Lee Man pulled one back. After a corner the ball ricocheted around the six-yard box until, after several rebounds, it found Tursunov’s foot a metre from North District’s goal. The referee disallowed the goal (I couldn’t see why) but pointed to the spot: Mikael’s initial shot had struck Danilo Santos’s arm. Hon Ho Lee guessed correctly but couldn’t reach it.

In the second half North District surrendered possession and territory, dropped the press, and defended in a mid-block in a 4-1-4-1. For the most part it worked, but in the 57th minute Cy Goddard capitalised on slow reactions and poor coordination at the back and bundled the ball over the line.

The draw held to full time, though North District had two clear chances late on. First, after a free-kick delivery, Hoi Yin Wong and Danilo Santos got in each other’s way going for a loose ball. And right before the whistle, goalkeeper Ka Ho Chan clawed a Villalobos half-volley out of the bottom right corner.

North District keep picking up points against strong opponents. In a week the Sheung Shui side host Tai Po. I didn’t drink at the match, but I made up for it afterwards.