One of the goals of this, or for that matter any other season, broke the deadlock at the Nongprue Stadium last Sunday as Pattaya United secured a valuable Division 1 home win over promotion chasing rivals Thai Honda FC.
Those privileged to be at the game could only stand and watch in awe as on-loan Brazilian defender Wellington Priori received a knock back from left winger Picha on the edge of the Thai Honda penalty area before flicking the ball up in the air and sending a searing overhead scissor-kick volley into the top corner of the visitors’ goal.
Thai Honda’s Poramat Krongborisoot (right) puts in a challenge as Pattaya United’s Supanan Bureerat (right) prepares to shoot on goal during the second half of their Thailand Football League Division 1 fixture at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya, Sunday, August 2. (Photo courtesy Thai Honda FC)
Wellington’s 64th minute strike brought to life a match that had up to that point seemed destined to end in a goalless stalemate, with neither team wishing to give anything away and with just one point separating them in the standings going into the game.
It inspired the home team to push forward for a second and the home fans were not to be left waiting long as dead-ball specialist Anuwat Inyin fired in a low free-kick in the 79th minute that somehow evaded the despairing dive of Honda goalkeeper Prapat Yoskrai and nestled in the back of the net to make the score 2-0.
United could have been forgiven for thinking that the game was already won, but they still had some defending to do and they were caught napping immediately from the restart as Dolphins’ goalkeeper Khumpium came flying out of his area to deal with a high ball and collided with his own defenders, leaving Honda forward Tawin Butsombat the simple task of heading into an empty goal.
The defensive error led to a nervous last 10 minutes for the home team but they managed to hold out and with the three points gained they now leapfrog their opponents into fourth place in the league standings.
United’s next Division 1 fixture is on Saturday, August 8, away at struggling Samut Songkhram FC. Kick-off is at 6 p.m.
Elsewhere there were mixed fortunes for the region’s other teams last weekend as Chonburi FC won 5-1 away at Chainat in the Premier League to boost their championship hopes while PTT Rayong lost 2-1 at Air Force in their Division 1 encounter.
