Kuching City held 1-1 by Kitchee in ACL Two as early own goal is cancelled out at Stadium Taha Ariffin

Kuching City are off the mark in the AFC Champions League Two, but they are still waiting for a first win. The Sarawak club drew 1-1 with Hong Kong champions Kitchee in Group H at Stadium Taha Ariffin on Thursday, 15 October. They led inside two minutes, then let Kitchee back into the game before the quarter-hour mark.

A dream start that did not last

Kuching went ahead almost straight from kick-off. Callum Beattie played a pass towards goal, Kitchee goalkeeper Pong Cheuk Hei misjudged it, and the ball ended up in his own net. The home crowd in Petra Jaya celebrated a goal after two minutes.

The lead lasted about 12 minutes. In the 14th minute Kitchee's Everton beat Kuching goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli to make it 1-1, and the visitors settled into the match from there.

Second-half chances go begging

The Cats pushed in the second half, but their finishing let them down. In the 70th minute Petrus Shitembi set up Ajdin Mujagic, the striker whose hat-trick against Kelantan City sent Kuching into the Malaysia FA Cup semi-finals, and he shot wide. Six minutes later Dylan Wenzel-Halls hit a powerful effort from outside the box. Pong, who had gifted the opening goal, made up for it with a strong save.

Neither side found a winner, so both settled for a point.

Kitchee coach Iñigo Calderón said afterwards that he was proud of his players. He admitted they had not played at their best, called the draw fair to both sides, and refused to single out anyone for the early error. Everton said the hot conditions in Kuching had been hard on both teams and called a point away from home a decent result.

Where Group H stands

The draw leaves Kuching with one point from two matches. They lost their opener to Cambodia's Phnom Penh Crown in September. Kitchee also have one point, after drawing 0-0 with South Korea's Gangwon FC in Hong Kong on matchday one.

The surprise of the night came in Gangneung, where Phnom Penh Crown won 2-1 at Gangwon. Gito Milan scored just before half-time and Moses Dyer converted a second-half penalty. The Cambodian side now have six points from six and lead Group H. Kuching, Kitchee and Gangwon are bunched together on one point each.

That makes the table tight with four matchdays left, and three teams are level behind the leaders.

A busy October for the Cats

The group stage is only one of Kuching's targets this season. Coach Aidil Sharin's side face Selangor in the Malaysia FA Cup semi-finals, and they return to Super League action this weekend with a trip to DPMM.

Thursday's game showed both sides of Kuching. They are dangerous early and they create chances, but they did not finish them. To stay in the race for a knockout place they will need wins against Gangwon and Phnom Penh Crown, and those wins are likely to come at home.

Key takeaways

• Kuching City drew 1-1 with Kitchee in ACL Two Group H at Stadium Taha Ariffin on 15 October.
• A second-minute own goal by Kitchee keeper Pong Cheuk Hei put Kuching ahead, and Everton equalised in the 14th minute.
• Kuching have one point from two games after losing their opener to Phnom Penh Crown.
• Phnom Penh Crown beat Gangwon 2-1 away and top the group with six points.

FAQ

What was the score between Kuching City and Kitchee? It finished 1-1. Kuching led through a second-minute own goal, and Everton equalised for Kitchee in the 14th minute.

How many points do Kuching City have in ACL Two? One point from two matches, after an opening defeat to Phnom Penh Crown and Thursday's draw with Kitchee.

Who leads ACL Two Group H? Phnom Penh Crown lead with six points after beating Gangwon 2-1 in South Korea. Kuching, Kitchee and Gangwon have one point each.

Sources: Utusan Sarawak, Newswav, New Straits Times, Star News Korea, Luminews