In the final round of Taiwan Premier League games before the winter break, Hang Yuan maintained their position at the top of the standings but needed a moment of magic to do so. Other subplots to emerge this week included Taipower’s struggles continued to get worse whilst exciting teenage playmaker Lai Yi Chiao, maintained his remarkable goal scoring run.

AC Taipei: 3 – Ming Chuan University: 0

Second place AC Taipei stayed within touching distance of retaking top point in the league standings after a routine win over bottom side, Ming Chuan.

Yang Chia Pao gave his side the lead with a close range header from a corner kick after just twelve minutes and six minutes later, Jun Uchida cut inside from the left-flank and his cross was guided home by Huang Sheng Chieh to effectively kill off the game there and then.

Taipei continued to pour it on in the second half and got their final goal with seventy-eight minutes played when Tsai Meng Cheng bombed down the right wing and his low cross was forcefully volleyed in by Huang Wei Chieh from about six-yards out.

Taipower: 1 — Taichung Futuro: 2

Taipower (7th) continued their remarkable slide down the table with a loss to Taichung Futuro (4th). The result means that Taipower have not won in their last six games.

Initially, it looked like Taipower were going to get a badly needed win after Chiu Po-Jui‘s edge-of-the-area shot took a deflection and looped into the corner of the net.

The scoreline stayed unchanged until the 65th minute when Yang He Chiang was adjudged to have committed a foul while contesting a header. Taipower seemed stunned by the decision, although that was of little concern to Shohei Yokoyama, who converted the penalty with a forceful finish.

In added time, things got even worse for Taipower when play was allowed to continue despite Yang being injured. With Future throwing everyone forward, Lai Yi Chiao‘s misshit cross floated across the six yard box and nestled into the top corner of the net, meaning Taichung had won the game via two very fortuitous passages of play.

Taichung Rock: 0 – Tainan City FC

Tainan (3rd) will be kicking themselves after dropping points against a limited but well organized Taichung  (6th). 

The Hawks dominated possession but were unable to convert the few chances they were able to create during the game. Jhon Benchy came closest in the first half but his shot went over the bar from close range. After the break, Fong Shao Chi and then Kim Sung-kyum had solid opportunities but both were saved by Taitung’s young keeper, Huang Huai-Hsien.

Taitung: 0 – Hang Yuan: 1

Hang Yuan stay top of the table after outlasting Taitung (5th) at the Ming Chuan University stadium.

The only goal of the game came in remarkable fashion as Taiwanese national team player, Kang Tae-Won scored directly from a corner kick for the second successive game. 

Both sides continued to trade chances in the second half, with Wei Pei Lun getting a great sight of goal before firing straight at the Hang Yuan keeper whilst Kang also went extremely close to getting his second but his curling shot just went wide of goal.

Photo Credit: Li Weiru (via GoGoal)