Pohang Steelers edged out Incheon United 1-0 in a tightly contested K League 1 match at Incheon Football Stadium on May 12, with Lee Ho-jae converting a first-half penalty to secure all three points and leapfrog his team in the mid-table battle.
The result extended Pohang’s unbeaten run to three games (two wins, one draw) and lifted them to 22 points, while Incheon remained stuck on 18 points. Pohang fielded the same starting lineup that beat Daejeon Hana Citizen 2-0 in their previous outing. In contrast, Incheon made eight changes from their 3-0 win over Gimcheon Sangmu, as key striker Stefan Mugoša was sidelined through injury.
The match started evenly, but Pohang thought they had broken the deadlock in the 12th minute when Eo Jeong-won’s cross was headed home by Jo Sang-hyeok, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Incheon responded through Park Su-ho’s powerful long-range effort in the 23rd minute, which smashed against the left post.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Eo Jeong-won was fouled in the box by Incheon’s Kim Gun-hee, earning a penalty. Lee Ho-jae stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the center of the net, sending goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon the wrong way. It was Lee’s fourth penalty goal of the season and his seventh overall, tying him with the absent Mugoša at the top of the scoring charts.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Incheon pushed forward after the break. Goalkeeper Hwang In-jae proved pivotal for Pohang, denying Lee Myung-joo’s powerful volley in the 49th minute and later smothering a fierce low drive from Choi Seung-gu in stoppage time. Substitute Gerso also carved out a brilliant chance in the 79th minute, dribbling past five defenders from the halfway line into the box, but his shot was parried by the advancing Hwang. Incheon’s last-gasp efforts came to nothing as Pohang held on for a hard-fought win.
